The Journey's Trek
by Michael Weyer
Summary: Near the end of its five-year mission, the Enterprise meets a fleet needing some help that bears some familiar faces. ST TOS/BSG 2003 crossover.
1. Chapter 1

The Journey's Trek

By Michael Weyer

Star Trek owned by Paramount.

Battlestar Galactica owned by Sci-Fi Channel.

**I've read quite a few BSG crossovers but surprised no one has done it with this show. I had resisted at first but the original ideas came to me and decided to start it up and see reaction while having a lot to get to. All comments welcomed.**

**For Star Trek, imagine it late in what would have been season five while for BSG, it's season two, shortly before "Pegasus."**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_Captain's Log, Stardate 7513.5. With four months left to the end of our five-year mission, many on board the Enterprise are eager to complete preparations for our return to Earth. However, we are still continuing our mission to explore new regions. Due to a recently completed treaty with the Klingons, several new planets have been freed from the Neutral Zone and are part of the Federation. The Enterprise has been sent to survey these planets for possible mining and colony endeavors. _

"Coming out of warp now, Captain," Ensign Hikaru Sulu said from his spot at the console.

"Very well," Captain James T. Kirk lounged in the large chair at the center of the bridge, facing the large view screen. As always, he cut a dashing figure in his black pants and yellow command shirt, his light brown hair framing his handsome face. He rubbed at his hair as he turned to man next to Sulu. "Standard vectors, Mr. Chekov and set scanners for nearby life signs."

"Aye, sir," Ensign Pavel Chekov said in his thick Russian accent as he adjusted his controls. Kirk turned to face the corner of the bridge. "Analysis, Mr. Spock?"

"No signs of colonies or other inhabited worlds, Captain," the half-Vulcan said, bent over his console, gazing into a viewer. "The information on these planets were sketchy to say the least. Starfleet had expressed concerns of at least one planet being used as a hidden Klingon base to strike at the Federation from within."

"I'm aware of those reports, Mr. Spock and I wouldn't put it past some Klingons to try it," Kirk said. "Still, their high command seemed sincere in trying to make this deal. At the least, we should honor the face of the agreement."

"My father had aided in the negotiations, Captain," Spock pointed out.

Kirk smiled. "Which means they're perfect, correct?"

Spock turned from his station with his patented patient expression. "There is no such thing as utter perfection, Captain. We Vulcans merely attempt to come as close as possible."

Kirk raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Spock, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that sounded like a boast."

Spock frowned. "Captain, there is no need to be ridiculous."

Kirk's chuckle was cut off as a loud beeping ran out from the console. "Captain!" Sulu called out. "We have ships coming!"

"On screen," Kirk commanded as he twirled his chair to face it. The view screen showed the field of stars and planets before them. As Kirk watched, dozens of ships suddenly seemed to wink into existence, each with a bright white flash. They were an eclectic group, no two boasting the same designs. Some were small, others large, some resembling cargo vessels while others seemed different, such as one that was a spinning wheel with a pointed craft in the middle. At the center of the fleet was the largest ship of the lot, larger than the _Enterprise_. It was grey, metallic plated with two large nacelles at its sides, scarring evident on its hull. On one side was written a single word in large black letters: _GALACTICA._

"They're resting roughly 2000 kilometers off our port side, Captain," Sulu said as he brought the ship to a full stop.

"Reading nearly fifty ships, Keptain," Chekov said, his accent thicker in alarm. "No known configurations with Federation databases."

"Good to see you've been studying those, Mr. Chekov," Kirk noted. "Spock, analysis."

Spock was peering over the scanners. "As Mr. Chekov stated, no match to known ships, Captain. Not Federation, Vulcan, Klingon, Romulan…"

"I get the picture, Mr. Spock," Kirk interrupted. "What _can_ you tell me about them?"

Spock was too busy viewing his scans to be perturbed by the interruption. "No signs of standard warp drives or shields…They do seem equipped with some sort of faster than light technology but I am unable to determine its exact status."

"Life signs?"

"Scanning…Approximately 40,000 spread among the ships. The life signs read as human."

"Captain." Kirk turned to where Lt. Uhura was sitting at her station, a hand to the earpiece in one ear, her pretty black face in concentration. "I am detecting no subspace transmissions from these ships. However, I am getting a huge amount of chatter over standard radio wavelengths."

"Have they seen us?"

Uhura nodded. "I believe so, Captain. And it appears they are rather upset."

"Keptain!" Chekov piped up. "The large wessel has launched fighters!"

Kirk turned back to the screen to see a dozen small craft exiting the large ship at the center of the fleet. "Magnify." At his command, Sulu brought up an image of the fighters and enlarged it. The screen showed a dozen small ships, each of the same design, a pointed center framed by sharp wings hanging at angles. "Spock?"

The officer was already scanning the ships. "Reading fragmentation bullets and air to air missiles, Captain. Level one of space civilization warfare, they pose no serious threat to this ship."

"Shields up, nonetheless," Kirk commanded. "Set condition to Yellow Alert." As the lights on the bridge glowed, Kirk looked to Uhura. "Can you access the main radio lines?" As Uhura nodded, Kirk rubbed his chin. "Open a channel. Let's see if we can defuse this situation before it gets out of hand."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Fighters approaching target," Felix Gaeta spoke up as the red alert echoed through the CIC. Commander William Adama stood erect, gazing up at the large screens. Colonel William Tigh stood next to him, just as stern and hiding his worry as they saw the dots of the fighters heading toward the unidentified DRADIS contact."Figures we jump right onto a Cylon contact," Tigh muttered.

"Assuming it's Cylon," Adama noted. "The configuration doesn't match a Basestar."

"Who the hell else could it be?"

Reaching for a phone, Adama keyed in a number and spoke. "_Galactica _Actual to Starbuck. What do you see?"

There was a pause before the voice of Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace came over the speakers. _"Starbuck here, Galactica. This thing is….damn."_

"Can you be just a tad more specific, Captain?" Tigh groused.

"_I'd put its size a bit smaller than Galactica, sir. White/grey hull, looks like a large saucer attached to a tube-shaped center and two nacelles hanging in the back. There's some writing on the front of the saucer, can't make it out from here."_

"Has it made any threatening moves?" Adama asked.

"_Not that we can see, sir. Hasn't launched any fighters and if it's Cylon, they've made a radical jump in designs."_

"_They might have," _came the voice of Lee "Apollo" Adama from his own Viper. "_We're ready to go hot on command, sir."_

"Hold for now," Adama commanded. He glanced to Gaeta. "How long until the fleet can spool up the FTL's?"

"Still a few minutes, sir," Gaeta said.

"Sir." Adama turned to Anastasia Dualla, whose dark face had gone pale as she stood at the communications station. "Commander, the ship is sending out a message on open channels to the entire fleet."

Adama frowned. "Put it on."

Dualla hit a few buttons and a commanding male voice echoed throughout the speakers. _"Attention unidentified vessels. This is Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise. We mean no harm but as you are within Federation borders, I must ask you to identify yourselves at once and state your intentions."_

"Federation?" Tigh frowned. "The hell kind of trick is this?"

"And they're speaking Caprician," Adama noted.

"Caprician?" Dualla frowned. "No, sir, that's Sagittarian."

"It's Piconese," another technician said. "Every word!"

A few more voices carried out, each claiming to have heard the words in the language of their own colonies. Adama and Tigh exchanged looks of bafflement. "The frak is going on?" the XO muttered.

Adama paused, mulling it over before reaching for the phone.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Fighters are holding, sir," Sulu said.

"In a pattern?"

Sulu shook his head. "No, sir. It looks like they're actually…stopped in place."

Kirk frowned. "No warp capabilities, no shielding, no subspace…and yet they have some sort of special drive and ships that don't need continual forward momentum?"

"Sir," Uhura piped up. "We have a reply to our hail." At Kirk's nod, she put it on speakers, the translation programming kicking in automatically. There were crackles of static as a strong male voice came over the connection.

"_To the ship calling itself Enterprise. This is Commander William Adama of the Battlestar Galactica. We do not know of you or your Federation. We are unaware of whether or not this is some sort of Cylon trick but are ready to defend ourselves if necessary."_

"Cylons?" Kirk frowned to Spock, who merely raised an eyebrow. He pressed a button to speak. "Commander Adama, I am unaware of these 'Cylons' you are speaking of. Again, we mean no harm but I should warn you that by our scans, we greatly outnumber your ships in terms of firepower and any battle would be rather one-sided."

Spock raised his eyebrow further. "This is your method of defusing, Captain?"

Kirk was giving him an annoyed look when Uhura spoke up again. "Captain, I have another message coming through from a different ship."

"On speakers."

A crackle echoed before a strong female voice came through. _"To the ship calling itself Enterprise. This is Laura Roslin, President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. We are a refugee fleet fleeing the destruction of our homes."_

Kirk pursed his lips. "I assume, Madam President, this means you have not heard of the Federation?"

"_We have not, Captain."_

Kirk nodded as the pieces came together. "Madam President, I would be happy to meet you and your Commander Adama to discuss the situation in full. I can take a shuttle to this _Galactica_ with some members of my crew if you're willing."

There was a pause and Uhura held a hand to her ear. "It sounds like there's a bit of a debate going between the President and Commander, sir."

"I can imagine," Kirk noted. After a moment, Adama's voice came on again. _"Captain, we shall await your arrival on the Galactica. Send word when your shuttle leaves and we'll have a fighter escort for you. Galactica out."_

From the way Adama spoke, Kirk could tell the "escort" was more along the lines of "one wrong move and we'll blow you out of the sky" followers. He was nonplussed however, as he stood up. "Well, Mr. Spock. Nothing like a first contact mission to break the monotony of a dull day."

"I would recommend caution here, Captain," Spock said. "It would appear these humans are rather…on edge is the term that would be used."

"Captain," Uhura said and the two men turned to her as she frowned at her console. "I was running the transmissions through the universal translator and noticed something odd. It appears that their language is ancient Greek."

"Greek?" Kirk frowned. "How can that be?"

Uhura shook her head. "I can't answer that, sir. But that's what it says."

Kirk rubbed his chin. "Something for another time, then. Lieutenant, tell Dr. McCoy to get his dress uniform on and meet us at shuttle bay 2. Oh and tell Mr. Scott to come as well, I think he'll want a look at these engines of theirs. You have the helm, Mr. Sulu."

With that, he and Spock exited to the elevator, both confident but wary of the risks in meeting what was sure to be a violate people.


	2. Chapter 2

The Journey's Trek

By Michael Weyer

"Damn, I hate this thing," Leonard McCoy groused as he tugged at the collar of his dress uniform. "Almost as much as I hate shuttle rides." He was seated at the rear of one of the Federation shuttles, heading toward the fleet.

"I thought you did not like being beamed about, Doctor," Spock noted, looking comfortable in his own dress uniform.

"I dislike being so close to space more," McCoy snapped. "You know the accident rate on these things as well as I do."

"Actually, Doctor, you are more likely to be killed by a bolt of lightning on Earth than by shuttle accident."

"Spare me, Spock."

Kirk smiled, used by now to the banter between his two friends. He was standing at the front of the shuttle as Chief Montgomery Scott sat nearby, studying images the _Enterprise_ had taken of the fleet on a data pad. "This canna be," the Scottish engineer murmured. "No warp signatures at all…It's like they just appeared out of nowhere."

"Any ideas, Mr. Scott? Kirk asked.

Scotty rubbed his chin in thought. "Hard to tell from this, Captain but if I had to hazard a guess…I think they may have folded space."

"Folded space?" Kirk frowned. "I read of attempts to do that in the past but they decided it was impossible. That a living crew couldn't survive the reversion process."

Scotty nodded. "Aye, sir. But I canna see another possibility. At least until I can study those engines myself."

"First things first, Mr. Scott," Kirk noted as he glanced forward to see the large ship coming closer. "These may be humans but if they are refugees, we may be getting in the middle of a complicated situation."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Gods, I hate this thing," Tigh groused as he pulled at his dress uniform. He stood at the head of the large grouping inside the hanger deck. Adama was next to him, also clad in his dress uniform as various pilots stood in dress. Behind them were soldiers in battle armor, rifles at the ready just in case. Various deckhands were scattered about, a couple still working on a Viper but most simply watching the sure to be eventful moment.

"Can't believe we got the frakking press here," Tigh said, glancing to the balcony overlooking the hanger. He could see several cameras aimed at the deck and Deanna Biers speaking into one.

"The whole fleet should know what happens here, Colonel," President Laura Roslin said. He seemed to be recovering well from the blood transfusion that treated her cancer. She wore her best professional suit, her beautiful face framed by her trademark glasses, every inch the leader. "Whether they're friend or foe, we need to have this recorded for posterity."

Tigh shook his head. "Still prefer to keep it tighter, better security."

"This is an important moment, Saul," Adama noted. "It figures it takes the destruction of the colonies to get us to finally meet an alien race."

"Assuming it's not a fancy Cylon trick," Tigh muttered.

"We're about to find out," Adama said as an alarm blared, indicating the hanger bay doors were being shut and space vented out. After a pause, the doors leading to the closed area were opened and a box-shaped craft flew inward. It slowly landed, settling down and tension gripped the entire area.

From his place next to Roslin, Dr. Gaius Baltar, pushed his glasses up on his nose, his suit as rumpled as his dark hair. He was peering with interest at the oncoming shuttle, his mind whirling with the possibilities before him.

"This must be so disconcerting, Gaius" purred that familiar seductive voice. Baltar didn't bother looking as the gorgeous blonde woman in a slinky red dress leaned on his shoulder. Baltar did his best to ignore her, knowing only he could see her. "Proof there is intelligent life elsewhere in the universe and you can't brag to the worlds about it."

"We'll just see how intelligent they truly are," Baltar murmured. "Aren't you concerned that they may prove stronger than the Cylons?"

"God is on our side, Gaius," Six smiled at him. "His will can overcome all."

After a pause, one side of craft broke apart in sections, one part raised up while the other formed a staircase. A trio of men came forward, all clad in red shirts and black pants with an arrow-shaped insignia on their chests. Two came down the steps while one hung back. The soldiers in the bay tensed but on orders did not raise their rifles. Two of the newcomers scanned the area before taking places on either side of the stairs, confirming Adama's suspicion they were some sort of security detail. Satisfied, the man at the top moved to the side to allow the shuttle passengers to exit.

In the lead was a man younger than Adama expected but carrying himself with the boldness of command. He had light brown hair, clad in black pants and a green shirt with gold tinges. Behind him were two men in matching blue shirts, one's face craggy and ill at ease, the other quite calm and…

"Pointed ears," Tigh muttered. "He's got frakking pointed ears, Bill."

Adama gave him a sharp look as a final man stepped out in a red shirt, a light smile on his face. The lead man stepped before Adama and nodded. "Commander Adama? Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. _Enterprise_. On behalf of the United Federation of Planets, I greet you in peace and welcome you to our space."

"Thank you, Captain," Adama said. He nodded to the woman beside him. "May I present President Laura Roslin."

Kirk extended a hand. "Madam President."

She took it, shaking strongly. "Captain. This is our Vice President Gaius Baltar." The nervous looking man next to her quickly shook Kirk's hand with some vigor. "And this is Colonel Saul Tigh, Commander Adama's second in command."

Kirk shook the man's hand before motioning to the men around him. "This is my first officer, Commander Spock."

The pointed-ear man held up his right hand, the fingers spread out. "Greetings and long life."

Positive attempting to duplicate the salute would break her nerves, Roslin simply nodded back as Kirk continued. "My chief medical officer, Dr. Leonard McCoy. And my chief engineer, Montgomery Scott." Both men nodded respectfully.

"You seem able to speak our language quite well, Captain," Adama calmly addressed the question.

"Actually, we are not speaking it," Spock stated. "Our technology merely translates your language into our own and vice versa." He noted how that seemed to make these people uncomfortable and guessed they had some issues with technology.

Adama made a motion with his hand. "If you'll follow us, we have our main conference room ready for our meeting." Kirk and his men followed, leaving the flight deck murmuring with conversation.

"What do you think?" Starbuck asked Apollo as they moved closer, each gazing after the group. "Friend or foe?"

"Hoping for friend," Lee replied. "Because I don't like the idea of tackling that big ship of theirs."

"Ah, doesn't look that tough."

"You're insane, your opinion doesn't count for much."

"That's why you all love me," Starbuck smirked as they moved off.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The conference room was a bit tense as the group settled down. The trio of red-shirted men stood by the wall behind Kirk, arms crossed and fixing steady gazes at the rifle-toting soldiers standing behind the _Galactica_ crew. They too were hard-faced, rifles lowered but clearly ready to use them if something went wrong.

Adama stared at the group before him before speaking. "Just what is this Federation?"

Kirk was calm as he took in the question. "I assume you have never met an alien civilization before?"

"We have not," Adama confirmed.

Kirk nodded. "The United Federation of Planets is a peaceful organization of worlds spread throughout several star systems. Our ship is part of a mission exploring new worlds and meeting alien cultures in hopes to continue peaceful relations." He paused. "You identified yourself as being from Kobol. I have to confess that there is no record in the Federation databases for such a world. May I ask more of your planet and why you are here?"

Adama glanced at Roslin, who leaned forward, prepared. "Captain…what you see in this fleet is all that is left of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol."

Kirk was surprised but kept himself calm as Roslin went on, obviously not happy to be relating this. "We were once over twenty billion souls spread among twelve planets."

"Twelve inhabitable planets in one system?" Spock asked, one eyebrow raised. "An unusual occurrence although not unheard of."

Roslin continued. "It was difficult at times but for the most part, we managed to live in peace. About fifty years ago, our scientists developed a form of machine life called the Cylons. We used them as a work force even as evidence came that they were developing self-awareness. They finally rebelled and began a war against the Colonies."

"Colonel Tigh and myself served in that war," Adama inserted. "The Cylons had us on the ropes but we finally managed to fight them off enough to make an armistice. They retreated to deep space and for forty years, we never heard from them again."

"And they came back," Kirk realized.

Adama nodded. "A year ago. They attacked with no warning at all, unleashed some sort of computer virus that rendered our defense systems useless. We lost three quarters of the fleet in minutes. _Galactica _was spared because she was an older ship from the first war and was about to be retired into a museum so our systems were offline. They also launched massive nuclear strikes on each colony."

"President Adar offered unconditional surrender after they destroyed Picon," Roslin gravely said. "They just kept bombing. What few survivors gathered together here and we've been on the run from them ever since."

Kirk mused on that. He'd heard tales of genocide before and had seen the remains of planets but this was still striking him hard. McCoy was shaking his head and muttering. "Damn, always knew giving machines so much power was bad."

"Bones…"

"Come on, Jim, this is the M5 taken to the tenth level!"

Seeing the confused looks on the faces of the colonists, Kirk explained. "A while ago, a Federation scientist attempted to hook our ship up to a computer system intended to improve our reaction times. It got out of hand, caused severe damage before it was finally shut off."

Thigh sniffed. "Never mess with that crap, always gets you into trouble."

"So you've been running without any direction?" Kirk asked.

Roslin sighed. "Not quite. Thousands of years ago, a 13th tribe left the rest of Kobol behind. Our sacred texts say they traveled to a distant world, to settle on a planet called Earth."

All the Starfleet officers jerked in surprise at that. Even Spock appeared a bit taken aback. "Earth?" Kirk repeated. "You're certain?"

Roslin frowned. "You…know of Earth?"

"It's real?" Baltar exclaimed.

Kirk smiled. "I should hope it is. I was born on Earth. So was Doctor McCoy and Mr. Scott and Mr. Spock's mother was from Earth as well."

A long silence went up at that. Without realizing it, both Baltar and Roslin removed their glasses in unison to stare at Kirk. Tigh's jaw was open while Adama simply sat dumbstruck. His mind whirled at that bombshell, latching onto a loose idea. "Um…what about…his father?"

"My father is from the planet Vulcan," Spock answered. "One of the oldest members of the Federation."

Roslin rubbed at her eyes. "You…are from Earth? You are from the 13th Tribe?"

"In actuality, there is no record of any Kobol in Earth's histories," Spock intoned. "Indeed, there is evidence civilizations on Earth existed as far as 20,000 of their years."

Kirk recognized the looks on the faces of the colonists. He'd been on first contact missions before and knew this was the hardest part: Having one's entire belief system completely overthrown by facts. He would have tried to put it with slightly more tact but sometimes Spock's blunt manners could be time-solving. "There are obviously differences in how races record time," he said. "We can go over that later. For now, there is the question of how to handle this situation."

"Can you take us to Earth?" Roslin pressed. "It…it's what we've been looking for all this time. We need this, Captain."

Kirk sighed. "Madam President, I can understand your feelings. However, there is a protocol for first contact missions. I have to assess the situation with your people and report my findings to Starfleet. They in turn will have to work with Federation branches to find a proper settlement for you all. While you say Earth is a colony of your people, the planet is home to several billion beings and we cannot allow you to simply settle there on your own."

Tigh snorted. "Great. Even the aliens have red tape bureaucracy."

"There is also the matter of the Prime Directive," Spock intoned. "The highest law of Starfleet. It prohibits us from directly interfering in the affairs or progress of other civilizations."

Roslin fixed him with a cool gaze, her lips turned up a bit in a mirthless smile. "Mr…Spock? Our civilization is what is on these ships. Believe me, any damage you can possibly do is nothing compared to what we have been through. We are low on supplies, on food, water, fuel, ammo and most of all, hope. Earth has been all that's been getting us through this, you cannot deny us that."

Kirk rubbed his chin. "Again, Madam President, the situation of your placement is out of my hands." He paused. "However…if you were to claim refugee status, then we would be bound to giving you some supplies such as food and water as well as protection within Federation space."

There was a pause as the Colonials looked to one another. "That's a generous offer, Captain," Roslin carefully began. "However, I will have to discuss this with the Quorum, our representative body."

"I understand," Kirk nodded to her.

"In the meantime," Roslin began, slowly rising up. "Perhaps you can take a tour of the _Galactica?" _Both Tigh and Adama instantly whipped their heads to her with wide eyes, telling Kirk this was not a planned proposal. Adama opened his mouth but Roslin went on. "If you are to help us, you should know the situation of the fleet first hand."

"It would be our pleasure, Madam President," Kirk said as they rose. "My chief engineer here has been interested in your method of warp travel."

"Warp?" Adama frowned, forgetting his anger. "You mean the jump drive?"

Scott nodded. "Aye. It seems quite different from ours, wanna get a close look at it."

Kirk saw the glowering on Adama's face and quickly spoke. "We can wait outside this room, Madam President. I need to contact my ship anyway in order to send a preliminary report to Starfleet."

"Thank you, Captain," Roslin said as the _Enterprise_ officers stood and moved to the door. A trio of Marines followed them outside, the last one pulling the door shut. As soon as it was sealed, Tigh whirled on Roslin. "Are you out of your frakking mind?"

"Tigh is right," Adama said as he moved to her. "We just met these people and you want to give them access to our ship? Our weapons and technology?"

Rolsin's jaw was set as she refused to back down from the commander. "You saw that ship, Commander. You told me the early scans can't even crack their hull. We need to know more about them ourselves and the best way to do that is see how they interact with our ship."

"It's a huge risk," Adama argued.

"If they can take us to Earth, it's worth it." Roslin glanced toward Baltar, who was sitting in his chair, his head turned as if listening to something. "Mr. Vice-President?"

Baltar started and faced her. "Oh, yes, sorry. I was just thinking that, ah, perhaps as part of the tour, we should introduce them to Sharon."

Tigh's brow furrowed. "You want that Cylon loose?"

"We have to tell them about the Cylons looking human eventually," Baltar pointed out. "Better to get it out of the way now. Plus, if their technology is advanced as it seems, perhaps they can tell us more about the Cylon physiology. Which, in turn, can tell us how their own technology is."

Adama hated to admit it but he had to agree with the reasoning. "Get her transferred to Cottle," he ordered. He glanced to Roslin. "I still don't agree with this but fine. We'll give them a tour but keep it as tight as we can."

Tigh shook his head. "When this all ends in blood, don't be blaming me."

Six giggled into Baltar's head. "And you wonder why we are so victorious." Baltar did his best to ignore her as they left to return to their guests.


	3. Chapter 3

The Journey's Trek

By Michael Weyer

_Captain's log, supplemental. The Enterprise has met with what appears to be a fleet of refugees. They claim to be from a dozen colonies with the name of Kobol, their planets attacked by a rogue form of robots called Cylons. I sense there is more to the story than they say but am willing to give them refugee status if they ask for it. At the moment, my officers and I are on a tour of their main ship and will give further reports as we discover more. _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The pilot briefing room was a bit more tense than usual despite the joking about. The two dozen pilots gathered all knew of the strange ship and the rumors of its origins were flying about. That was on the mind of Lee Adama as he took his place at the podium to call things to order.

"Okay," he began in his strong voice. "I know there's some talk on who or what these guys are but at the moment, that's all it is, talk. Until we know otherwise, we maintain regular patrols but we do not instigate anything. Hotdog and Kat take first shift, maintain safe distance as you keep circling the thing. Any scans of it would be helpful too but you do not take any action unless ordered."

"What if they got stuff we don't know about?" Hotdog asked from his seat.

"Just do what you always do, Hotdog," Kat shot back. "Pull back and let me do the work." She looked to where Kara Thrace was lighting a cigar in her chair in front. "Damn, Starbuck, thought you ran out of those things."

"Picked up a couple boxes on Caprica," Starbuck replied as she took a puff. "Was saving them but if these folks do have some supplies, they gotta have tobacco among them."

Apollo was about to reply when he saw the group coming into the room from the rear. "Commander on deck!" he called out and the pilots instantly leapt to their feet in unison to stand at attention. Adama entered with Roslin and Thigh behind him, leading Kirk, Spock and McCoy into the room.

"At ease," Adama called out to let the pilots sit. He motioned to Kirk. "This is James T. Kirk, captain of the ship floating about, the _Enterprise. _Captain, these are some of our Viper pilots."

"Pleased to meet you," Kirk nodded as he looked about the room. Adama motioned to Lee. "This is our CAG, Captain Lee Adama, my son."

Kirk shook the man's hand, sensing a bit of tension at Lee being introduced that way. He nodded to the blonde woman in front. "This is Kara Thrace, one of our top pilots."

Starbuck blew out a cloud of smoke as she nodded to Kirk. "Howdy."

Kirk took in the group. "A pleasure to meet you all. I look forward to taking a better look at those fighters soon."

"Can give you a ride if you want," Starbuck volunteered.

"Or you can choose someone who can keep you alive," Kat threw in as everyone laughed.

Kirk smiled back recognizing the camaraderie the pilots had. "It looks like you have a good squad here, Captain Adama," he addressed Lee.

"We've had to make do," Lee replied, his face serious. "Not as many recruits to choose from as we'd like." The pilots sobered a bit at that, a fact not lost on Kirk.

"We should be heading to the medical wing now," Adama said. "Carry on, Captain." Lee saluted as the group filed out, leaving the pilots murmuring a bit between themselves.

"You see that one guy?" Hotdog remarked. "Pointed ears!"

"And not much personality," Kat noted. "I've seen toasters with more facial expression."

"Hey, Apollo," Racetrack called out. "You think this rumor they're from Earth is true?"

Apollo shrugged. "Like I said, a lot of stories going around but we need to concentrate on what we know."

"Still no fun, Apollo," Starbuck noted.

"Some of us take duty a bit more seriously, Starbuck."

"Some of us need to get frakked more often." The flush in Apollo's cheeks was enough to bring laughter down in the room.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"This is your sickbay?" McCoy's eyes widened as he stepped into the room. The dark grey walls carried still visible blood marks while the floor had places stained so much it was clear no scrubbing could get them clean. The beds were rumpled with sheets and the equipment was poor even for 20th century Earth standards. As if to finish the picture, the white haired man in the white coat had a cigarette stuck between his lips as he gazed at the visitors.

"Bones," Kirk muttered but the fiery doctor could not be silenced. "It's unkempt, it's unsanitary and half these instruments don't even look clean!"

"What do you want?" the white haired man shrugged. "I'm a doctor, not a maid."

Adama nodded to the man. "Captain, this is Doctor Cottle, our resident surgeon."

Cottle nodded to the men. "So, you guys are from Earth? Any chance I can get some cigarettes transported over here fast?"

"Ah, Earth did away with tobacco a long time ago," Kirk told him.

Cottle winced as if pained. "Great, dislike the place already."

"Doctor?" Adama began. "Is she here?"

Cottle nodded as he moved to pull back a curtain to reveal a bed. Sitting on it was an attractive young woman whose features looked almost Asian. She was wearing a simple shirt and pair of pants, her hands manacled before her with chains also attached to the bed. She gazed at them all with a cool expression but Kirk could see a trace of fear in her eyes mixed with confusion at his appearance.

"What is this?" Kirk asked.

Adama took a deep breath. "Shortly after the attacks…we discovered that the Cylons had evolved far greater than we suspected. They managed to find a way to make themselves look human, down to blood and DNA." He nodded to the woman. "This…is one of them."

The Starfleet officers looked in surprise as the red shirted guards moved hands to their phasers. "This…is a Cylon?" Kirk asked.

"Apparently, there are several copies," Baltar spoke up from behind Adama. He stepped forward, addressing Kirk in a cool tone that still managed to sound arrogant. "Twelve in all but multiple versions of each one. We have so far identified four. Exactly how they grow them is unknown but we have learned that when one model dies, their consciousness and memories are downloaded into a brand new body at a different location."

"Over the distance of several star systems?" Spock frowned. "Such an ability seems beyond the technology you have all shown."

"Sadly, it appears the Cylons spent quite a bit of time improving themselves in their time away," Baltar stated, adjusting his glasses. He nodded to the woman. "This is, or at least was supposed to be, Lieutenant Sharon Valerii, a pilot on this ship. Or, rather, one of her." Seeing the confused looks on the faces around him, Baltar took a deep breath. "I apologize in advance as this is rather complicated. The version of Sharon we had on this ship….let's use her call sign, Boomer, to avoid confusion….was evidentially programmed to be unaware she was a Cylon. We suspect she carried out some acts of sabotage but still was not aware of her true status and none of us suspected. At least not until…" He broke off, glancing at Adama.

The elder man's gaze didn't leave Sharon for an instant. "Not until she came back from a bombing mission and shot me twice in the middle of the CIC." His voice was mixed with rage despite his tight control.

Baltar continued. "Boomer was arrested and imprisoned before a worker on the ship took it upon herself to shoot her dead. At the same time, on Caprica, a pilot named Karl Agathon had been stranded evacuating people, including myself, during the attacks. On his own, he met this Sharon right here, who he naturally believed to be the real one."

"I am real," the woman spoke for the first time, her voice irritated.

Baltar simply continued. "She was aware all along of her true nature and seduced Agathon into…well…"

"We fell in love," Sharon interjected. "We couldn't have a child otherwise."

"A child?" McCoy's eyes widened. "You're telling us she's pregnant?"

"Yep," Cottle said as he blew out a cloud of smoke. "Normal pregnancy so far but given we know next to nothing about the Cylon makeup, could be complications."

"Only reason we haven't flushed her out an airlock," Tigh remarked, glaring at the woman. "Though I still have no problems personally with it."

"Bones?" Kirk asked. Knowing what he was asking, McCoy moved forward, entrapping his tricorder. The marine guards stiffened but McCoy held up a hand. "Just a medical scanner, nothing else." He moved to wave it over Sharon who was as baffled as the beeping device as the other Colonials. McCoy checked the recorder as he continued the scans. "Definitely pregnant…fetus reads as human….Female."

"A girl?" Sharon's face brightened. "I…I'm having a girl?"

"Congratulations," Tigh muttered. "We'll see if we got any pink armor plating for the little toaster."

Bones glared at him. "I think we can do without the peanut gallery here. This woman is a patient and if you can't be cordial to her care, you should leave."

Cottle smirked at the look on Tigh's face. "I think I might actually like you."

Bones went back to looking at his tricorder. He frowned as he checked the readings. "Spock, come look at this."

Kirk was surprised to hear McCoy actually asking for Spock's opinion on something. The Vulcan was naturally nonplussed as he moved to look at the tricorder's data pad. He raised an eyebrow. "Intriguing," he mused. "This mixture of human DNA and nannites…"

"Pretty advanced," McCoy noted. "They replicate the DNA strands so standard scans would be fooled into thinking them human. Also seem to boost her adrenaline factors and muscles, makes her a bit stronger than a normal human would be." He moved the scanner over her head, the beeping increasing. "Micro silicate implants in her brain, mixed with the tissue."

Spock nodded. "This might allow her access to computer systems. It also explains much of this download ability they spoke of."

"So she is a machine?" Kirk asked.

"With a mixture of human elements but yes, Captain," Spock confirmed.

Adama moved in. "Is there any way you can use that scan on others? Find out who may be a Cylon or not?"

"We could use it," Tigh turned his gaze on Baltar. "Seems the good doctor here struck out with his own Cylon detector which read Boomer as human."

Baltar brought himself up, pushing up his glasses. "That was an early model and may I remind you all I was in uncharted territory with such an device in the first place? You have to expect some trial and error…"

"She shot the Old Man!" Tigh snapped. "If I had my way, I'd be tossing you out the airlock right behind her!"

"Yes, we are all aware of your excellent command decisions, Colonel," Baltar sniffed.

"Gentlemen," Kirk interjected, seeing Thigh ready to go after the scientist. "At the moment, we are bound by the Prime Directive not to simply conduct such scans, at least not without expressed permission from the President."

Baltar leaned toward Adama. "Commander, I agree that these scans can help but I think there are many in the fleet who might be a bit upset at these aliens examining them."

Tigh looked downward. "I hate to say it…Gods know I hate to say it…but for once, Baltar's actually got a point there. Hell, when it gets out about how Earth isn't a colony of Kobol and there are humans beyond us, it'll be crazy with the religious sects. Last thing we need is to have them herded into some advanced technology booths to be studied like lab rats."

"Perhaps the President and this Quorum can help smooth that over," Kirk said.

As if on cue, a young man in a rumpled brown suit stepped into the medical bay. "Um, Commander?"

Adama turned to him. "Yes, Billy?"

"The President sent me to find you, sir. The Quorum has arrived and gathered in the main briefing room for the meeting."

"Thank you, Billy," Adama nodded. He turned to Kirk. "We'll have to put off the engine room tour for a bit, Captain. The President wanted the Quorum to meet you at once."

"As you wish, Commander." Kirk followed Adama out as the man glanced over his shoulder. "If you don't mind my saying, Captain," Adama carefully began. "Your first office seems a bit…cold."

Kirk smiled softly. "Mr. Spock was raised on his father's home of Vulcan. Long ago, they learned to control their emotions and devote themselves to logic. He can seem without feeling, Commander but, as much as he'll deny it, deep down he's a quite thoughtful and caring man. Indeed, he's not only my best officer but my best friend as well. Even if he can be difficult."

Adama smiled back. "I can understand that. Saul has his own….problems but when it comes to a fight, there's no one else I'd want on my side."

Kirk's smile grew. "Then perhaps we aren't so different after all."

Adama nodded as he led the way. "Be careful with the Quorum, they can be a difficult bunch to agree with. Especially Tom Zarek."

"A political opportunist?" Kirk guessed.

"I wish that was all," Adama muttered as they walked on.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

For a man who had spent twenty years in prison, Tom Zarek fit a suit rather well. He sat at the end of the long conference table looking over the same folders the rest of the Quorum had been given, listing what little had been found out about the Federation officers. That it was one sheet of paper didn't sit well with many around the table, several muttering among themselves. Zarek finally looked to Roslin who sat the head of the table. "You really think they're from Earth?"

"I'm inclined to," Roslin stated. "They seem so upfront about it. And frankly, from what I've heard of that examination they gave our prisoner, their technology is more advanced than ours or the Cylons. Besides, I just don't see the Cylons having so much imagination or patience for a ruse this large."

Zarek scratched the back of his head. "If they are from Earth…and if this Federation is as large as they claim…there's going to be a big debate, Madam President. Half of the fleet will want to go right to Earth and the other half will want the Federation to kick the toasters off our worlds."

"We'll cross that bridge when it comes," Roslin stated. Her eyes fell on a figure at the far end of the table. He was a rather corpulent fellow sipping a large mug of wine he had brought with him, liquid dribbling a bit on his chin. His face seemed pulled in a perpetual smile with a wide thick mustache and a thinning hairline. His clothes seemed tight, especially around his belly while a long blue cloak was an attempt to give him some dignity that failed. Roslin shook her head at him as she looked to Zarek. "Why do we need him around?"

Zarek glanced at the man and shrugged. "If we're dealing with new supplies, we'll need Mr. Socrates. He's a key part of the fleet supply systems…"

"The black market," Roslin snapped. "Don't mince words, Tom, that's what it is."

Zarek took a breath. "Laura, I know you don't like it but the fact is, the fleet needs the black market. It provides a better structure than any of the economic plans we've come up with and does get supplies to folks who need it. Besides, he's running it a lot better than we can hope, no slavery or drugs or such. Take him out and no telling how ugly it can get."

Roslin was about to reply when the door opened and Adama stepped in. Everyone at the table rose except for Socrates who seemed to be holding back and almost hiding behind the others. "Ladies and gentlemen," Adama stated. "Allow me to introduce Captain James T. Kirk of the United Federation of Planets and his crew." Kirk stepped next to Adama, hands clasped behind his back, bringing himself up as professionally as he could. "Please, sit." He said.

Once everyone had, Kirk gazed about them. "I wish to extend greetings to al of you. I understand this is a momentous occasion for you all and….and…" His voice trailed off as his eyes fell on the figure at the far end of the table. His jaw remained open as his eyes widened. The other _Enterprise_ officers followed his gaze and their expressions too turned to shock. Even Spock seemed as thrown as a Vulcan could possibly be.

"I don't believe it," Bones groaned.

"It canna be!" Scotty gasped.

"Evidentially, it is," Spock stated.

The man himself, realizing he couldn't avoid this, sat up, pushing a smile onto his face. "Kirk, me bucko! Well, fancy meeting you here, eh?"

The Quorum all gazed at one another in confusion, Roslin looking back and forth between Kirk and Socrates. Kirk simply stared in disbelief at the last person in the world he would have expected to see among a refugee fleet.

"Harcourt…Fenton…_Mudd?!"_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A nice way to cliffhang I believe. All comments welcomed if you want this to continue. **


	4. Chapter 4

**The Journey's Trek**

**By Michael Weyer**

**Thanks to those who pointed out some errors I was able to correct in previous chapters.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Harcourt?" Roslin was frowning at the man at the end of the table. "I thought your name was Socrates."

"No, madam," Bones sardonically said. "His name is definitely Mudd!"

Kirk was staring in disbelief at the man. "Harry Mudd…how the hell did you get here? The last time we saw you, you were being sentenced to a rehabilitation center after that love potion mess."

"Ah, now therein hangs a tale," Mudd said, stroking his mustache. "But I'm sure you have better things to do than listen to it so maybe I should just be…" He stood up but a guard nearby put a hand on his shoulder to shove him down. Mudd seemed to notice for the first time the ugly looks he was getting from the rest of the Colonials.

"You're…from this Federation?" Roslin snapped at him, her eyes narrowed behind her glasses.

"In the loosest sense of the term," Kirk sighed. "Harry Mudd is a noted criminal…"

"Never actually convicted of a high crime, Kirk," the man protested.

"Smuggler."

"Entrepreneur!"

"Con artist."

"Speculator."

"And all around scoundrel."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Mudd sniffed. "I've been keeping things clean here, Kirk, ask anyone!"

"You run the black market," Roslin coolly said.

Mudd winced at the glare Kirk threw at him. "Now let's not be judging just by labels now. I merely oversee a quite important service for this fleet, get people what they need at fair prices and stop some of the more…unsavory elements from abusing it."

"At no profit to yourself?" Kirk sardonically noted.

"Well, one must live, Captain," Mudd replied. "In case you haven't noticed, these people aren't exactly providing as easy a lifestyle as I'm used to."

"We can make it harder," Adama snapped in a harsh tone.

Mudd took in his glance and the mirroring one on Roslin's and swallowed. "Ah, Kirk, I think I might have overstayed my welcome here. Been too long since I saw some Federation planets, might be due for a vacation."

"Not going to happen, Harry," Kirk said.

Mudd licked his lips as he leaned in, his expression desperate. "Kirk…please, you don't know what these people are like! They'll beat me to within an inch of my life and then flush me out an airlock!"

"You're confusing them with me," Kirk dryly said. "Besides, Harry, you just said how important a job you're doing for this fleet. Who am I to take away such a strong asset?"

"Kirk, come on, after all we've been through together, how can you desert me like this?"

"I believe it's because of all we've been through together, Harry."

Mudd stammered before raising a hand. "As a Federation citizen, I request sanctuary and asylum and any other term for being able to hide!"

Kirk looked at him, then over at Spock with an almost pleading expression. "Spock, tell me I don't have to honor that."

"Regrettably, Captain," the Vulcan spoke from the side of the room. "I fear Mr. Mudd is entitled to said protections under Federation law."

Kirk sighed and rubbed his head. "Fine, fine. We'll take you back to the _Enterprise._"

Mudd grinned broadly. "Bless you, laddie, bless you!" He paused as he sat back. "Of course, I will need time to pack, say goodbye to a few lovelies, get my nest eggs together…"

One look at Kirk's face silenced him. "Or could just go now." He quickly rose and headed for the door, a red-garbed officer keeping a close eye on him. He paused at the doorway to face Roslin. "By the way, Madam President, I will be assembling an overall bill for my complete services here and…" The guard yanked him out of the room by his collar as Kirk made a mental note to put a commendation on the man's record.

"I'll go with to make sure he makes it on the shuttle, Captain," Scotty said, following the guard out.

Kirk sighed as he looked to Roslin. "My apologies, Madam President. Mudd has a habit of stirring up trouble wherever her goes."

"We'll discuss it later, Captain," Roslin said as she settled back. "For now, I believe it's time you addressed the Quorum on our options."

Kirk nodded as he faced the group and took a deep breath before beginning.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After ensuring Harry Mudd was secured quite firmly in the shuttle, Scotty took the opportunity to look around the docking bay area. He was aware of a pair of Marines watching him closely but ignored them as he took in the fighters. There were mechanics working all around, some glancing at him with curiosity but most keeping to their tasks. Scotty moved closer to one of the Vipers, admiring its design.

"Hi there." Scotty turned to see a heavyset man in an orange uniform looking at him. Behind him was a pretty young woman with black hair in a matching uniform, holding a large welding tool. "Galen Tyrol, I'm the Chief around here. This is Cally." The woman waved.

"Montgomery Scott," Scotty introduced himself. He nodded at the Vipers. "A nice piece of work here."

"Classic Colonial Viper," the Chief said with some pride. "She's an old bird but still able to handle things well."

Scotty looked around. "If you don't mind me saying so, your ship looks a bit rough around the edges."

Tyrol nodded. "She was made during the first Cylon War. She was actually about to be turned into a museum when the attacks happened, only reason she survived. We've been doing our best to keep her going."

"It's pretty much a full-time job," Cally said with a sigh. "We don't have the supplies we used to and with all the jumps…"

"Aye, I've been meaning to ask about that," Scotty said, crossing his arms. "How do ye do that, anyway? We use what's called a warp drive, powered by an matter/antimatter chamber."

Cally and Tyrol exchanged amazed glances. "Antimatter?" Tyrol exclaimed. "You're kidding me, right? You…can control that?"

"Aye," Scotty confirmed. "What do you use?"

"We call it the FTL drive," Tyrol explained. "Uses tylium ore." He saw Scott's blank expression. "Maybe you have a different name for it. Anyway, it basically allows us to fold space around, creating an instant gateway to another place."

Scotty raised his eyebrows. "Really? We've experimented with that ourselves but never could figure how a crew can survive the reversion process."

"It's not as hard as it sounds," Cally threw in. "Really, it…"

"Excuse me." The two turned to see Apollo standing before them, his face hard. "I think you two have more important things to do than relate our technology secrets." At his expression, the two blanched and quickly moved off.

Lee turned to Scotty. "Sorry but Commander's orders."

"Understood," Scotty noted. "I was just naturally curious about your travel methods. Engineer and all."

Lee's face softened. "I understand that. Sorry but things have been so tense around here…" He sighed. "If we're on edge, I'm sorry. The fact is, we're still dealing with the end of everything we knew. This search for Earth has been the only thing pushing us on. I hope we can make it work but…We've been disappointed before."

Scotty smiled. "Ah, you're in good hands with Captain Kirk, lad, trust me on that."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

First contact missions were always the most difficult for Starfleet cadets to master. Handling a culture that had no idea of life beyond their own world was fraught with land mines that could detonate into a full-scale crisis. Kirk had handled a few before but kept himself calm, reminding himself that this was a society who had already seen their own downfall and hated the idea of losing themselves more.

He had spent the last twenty minutes outlining the Federation's borders and some of its customs as well as what the Colonials could expect in the way of aid. His audience were open with the odd question here and there but mostly listening. But Kirk knew the talking was about to start once he finished this next part.

"Now as for your entrance into the Federation as citizens, there are some issues we have to deal with. The foremost among them is your colonial status."

"What do you mean?" Zarek asked.

"Normally, the Federation will accept worlds where the people have a common government. From what I gather, your colonies each have separate laws and cultural affairs. That makes the issue of your placement rather…tricky."

"In what way?" Alisander Asiel, the representative of Aerilon spoke up.

Kirk looked over the table then to Roslin. "Madam President, I'm sure the subject has been broached of how your people will be distributed should you reach Earth or some other inhabitable planet."

Roslin nodded. "We have."

"And are your people staying together or basically separating into different places?"

Roslin frowned. "Well, the discussion has been leaning toward separation. We felt it best to keep as much of our various cultures intact as we can."

Kirk nodded. "Therein lies a problem, Madam President. The Federation will not see your people as Sagittarians or Capricans or Gemenonese. They will see all of you as, for lack of a better term, Kobolians. Any placement decisions they make will effect your entire fleet as a whole and that may well include placing you all on the same area together."

As he expected, that caused a murmur along the table, with several people getting hard looks on their faces. Baltar in particular seemed concerned as he raised a hand for attention. "Captain Kirk, while we are more than grateful for any aid you can give us, this is a rather difficult proposition. I know you aren't aware of our history but the fact is, we colonies have had…severe differences."

"Mr. Vice-President, I more than understand," Kirk assured him. "Earth was much the same only a few centuries ago. Hundreds of nations, many of which had conflicts going back longer than anyone could remember. There were several global wars, including the Eugenics Wars which nearly wiped out human life on our world. In the aftermath, we were able to rebuild and realize it was better to accept what we had in common rather than focus on our differences."

"That's all well and good," Robin Wenutu of Canceron said. "But we haven't come all this way just to see what's left of our culture homogenized. Our people will want to keep to their ways."

"I don't know," Zarek mused. "I think some consolidation might be better for us."

Marshall Bagot of Virgon sniffed. "Not like you to play well with others, Zarek."

The former prisoner glared at him. "Let's just say my people aren't exactly thrilled at the idea of going back to being the punching bag for the rest of the Colonies."

Asiel rolled his eyes. "Oh here we go. I can't believe you're using this old chestnut still, Zarek."

"Don't deny it, Asiel," the man spat, a fire in his eyes. "We all know the history here. Even before the first war, my people were put in the back and marginalized by the rest of you."

"And that gave you an excuse for blowing up a federal building?" That got some interested looks from Spock and Kirk.

"While I don't agree with his methods," Perah Enyeto spoke up. "I do think Zarek raises a good point. I know there are a lot of my own people who would appreciate a better start."

Miksa Burian sniffed. "Figures a Tauron would stick up for a terrorist."

Roslin coughed. "If we can move away from that debate for now…"

"Excuse me," Sarah Porter of Gemenon spoke up. "But I have some issues I believe need to be addressed regarding the Federation's…policies."

From the way she spoke, Kirk instantly realized this was going to be a tricky question. The woman was leaning in to stare at him. "Is it true that the Federation does not believe in the Gods?"

Kirk mentally winced, hating being right. "The Federation is made up of hundreds of different cultures, Ms. Porter," he carefully answered. "They all have their own beliefs and the laws of the Federation give them the freedom to worship as they wish."

"You have not answered my question," Porter continued. "Do you believe in the Gods or not? Because I can tell you right now, Captain, my people are not going to be forced to give up their religious beliefs simply to settle on some strange world."

"That's not the only concern," Elrad Hunt stated. He fixed Kirk with as hard a glare as Porter. "Captain…given that your technology appears rather more advanced than ours…I feel it's only fair to ask point blank if your Federation also has AI."

Kirk realized even Roslin and Adama were fixing him with looks of interest and realized he was on even more treacherous ground. "I am not at liberty to discuss any possible Federation scientific works, ladies and gentlemen. I am fully aware of the issues you have regarding AI technology but we are a long way off from developing anything like these Cylons."

"But you are leaning in that direction," Porter snapped. "Just as you refuse to acknowledge the Gods, you are planning the creation of artificial life. We paid for that sin in the most horrible way, Captain."

"Ms. Porter, again, the issue of the Federation's technology is not a key one here." Kirk glanced at Spock before going on. "One issue that I must address is the Cylons and how they keep following you."

Roslin narrowed her eyes. "I was under the impression that as part of our refugee status, you would be entitled to protect us."

"True," Kirk allowed. "However, there is still a lot about these Cylons we don't know. If their technology is roughly the same as yours, a single ship may not pose a threat. But in great numbers, they may cause damage to some worlds. As much as I respect the safety of your fleet, I am under oath to put the Federation first and I cannot allow a hostile force to invade our space."

"There is also the concern of the Cylons coming too close to the Romulan or Klingon Empires," Spock spoke up. "They are each highly territorial and would not take well to any intrusions by the Cylons."

Kirk hid a smile. "In his usual understated fashion, Mr. Spock is saying that should the Cylons somehow blunder into either of those areas, it could set off a full-scale war. One that the Federation would be hard pressed to stay out of."

The Quorum members murmured among themselves at that before Roslin stood up. "Captain, you've given us a lot to consider. Perhaps you can excuse us so we can have time to process and debate it."

Kirk nodded. "As you wish, Madam President. I have to return to the _Enterprise_ in order to prepare our report for Starfleet." He, Bones and Spock rose to their feet as the red-shirted guard with them moved to attention.

Adama stepped forward. "Captain Kirk, if I may make a request?"

Kirk stopped. "Yes, Commander?"

Adama kept his face calm as he spoke. "Since you have seen our ship and been exposed to our technology…I feel it's only right that a representative of ours be able to tour your vessel."

That got some surprised looks all around. Spock frowned at Adama. "The Prime Directive precludes…"

Kirk held up a hand. "Mr. Spock is correct in our laws, Commander." He paused. "However, in the interest of promoting some trust between us, I believe an exchange may be beneficial."

"I can stay here for a bit," Bones spoke up. "I want to check into what medical needs the people in this fleet have."

Kirk nodded. "All right." He turned to Adama. "Have your people meet us in the shuttle bay and we can take them to the _Enterprise_." He nodded as he, Spock and their guard were led by a Marine out of the room.

Spock leaned in to quietly speak to Kirk. "Captain, this action…"

"They're on edge, Mr. Spock," the Captain replied. "This can go a long way toward easing their fears about us."

Spock shook his head. "I do not agree with it, Captain."

"Your objection is noted, Mr. Spock. But I like to think these people will recognize this effort and be open to this."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"We can't do this," Porter declared. "We cannot allow our people to be brought into such a…sacrilegious society!"

"All we have left of our histories is on our ships and our people," Burian added. "If we're integrated into this Federation as one, we'll lose all that. Our children won't remember their true heritage."

"And if we don't accept," Baltar spoke up. "We may not have any children to leave anything to. The brutal truth, ladies and gentlemen, is that we are low on supplies and the birth rate isn't going up. Even without the Cylons, the chances of us living past two more generations are close to nil."

"For once, I have to agree with Baltar," Zarek stated. "We've spent all this time searching for Earth and in effect, we've found it. Maybe it's not what we wanted but it's there and it's a chance to keep us going. It won't be easy but we've already been through a lot of changes and showed how we can work together. I think for the opportunity to finally settle on some planet and rebuild, our people can continue that."

Despite her distaste for the man personally, Roslin had to once again admire Zarek's skills as an orator. His words appeared to weigh on the rest of the Quorum. Seeing this, Adama felt like stepping in. "Perhaps we should wait a bit for our report on their ship to come in. We'd have a better feel for them and what they can give us afterward."

Roslin nodded. "A good idea, Commander. I assume you have a selection of people in mind?"

"One or two," Adama said. "One of which might be…problematic with some of you."

When he mentioned the name, the Quorum instantly did what they did best, which was argue among themselves as Roslin made a note to see what Doctor McCoy had to offer for a headache.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Ah, now this I missed!" Mudd said with a grin as he settled back into his shuttle seat. "The nice feel of good old Federation craftsmanship! I hope the food replicators on your ship are still up to snuff, Kirk. Been far too long since I had a nice full course meal and…"

"Ensign," Kirk spoke to the red-shirted guard next to him. "If Mr. Mudd utters one more word, gag him."

"Gladly, sir," the man replied. For once, Mudd took the obvious hint and quieted down.

Nearby, Felix Gaeta was looking around the ship with a sense of wonder. "It's so quiet," he muttered. "No roar of engines at all."

"I noticed that," Billy Keikeya said. He was a bit more nervous, adjusting his tie as he rummaged through notes on what to ask once they got on the other ship. "Makes you wonder how else they've improved over us."

Kirk smiled at them. "We'll give you as much of the tour as we can." He glanced at the third guest seated at the rear of the shuttle. "I hope you understand we will be exercising some discretion."

"Oh, don't worry, Captain," Deanna Biers said with a sly smile on her face. "I'm sure I'll get more than what I need on this trip."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**For those wondering, the incident Kirk refers to is from an episode of the Star Trek animated series, "Mudd's Passion" with the late, great Roger C. Carmel voicing the character once more. Thanks for all the comments, feel free to add more.**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Journey's Trek**

**By Michael Weyer**

* * *

McCoy grunted a bit as he took in the files being handed to him. "How come your paper doesn't have corners?" he asked.

"How come yours does?" Cottle responded as he lit a cigarette.

"Good point," Bones conceded as he flipped through the files. "We mostly did away with paper a while back on Earth." He glanced through the numbers with interest. "Huh…seems we got the same names for a lot of medical terms and supplies."

"That solves a few problems," Cottle noted as he took a drag. "As you can tell, we've got hunger and dehydration issues at the top of the list. We've done our best with supplies but it's been a losing battle most of the time."

"Then we start with the cases that need it the most and move up." McCoy said, taking a file. "This one, for example."

Cottle looked at it and shook his head. "No need. Darla Morganne, Caprican. Diagnosed with Connor's Syndrome, no cure back home, sure as hell none out here. She's got six months, tops."

McCoy looked over the data and furrowed his brow in confusion. "Wait a minute…Blood levels, the sugar intake, the lesions…" He let out a laugh. "This woman has lupus!"

"So?" Cottle asked, not impressed.

"We've had the cure for that on Earth for centuries!" McCoy said. "Get her over here and I can have her good as new in five minutes!"

Cottle had the sense of mind to take the cigarette out of his mouth before it fell from his open jaw. "You…you can do that?" His mind whirled. "What about cancer? You got a treatment for that?"

"A little longer but I can flush it out," McCoy confirmed. "Why?"

A rare heartfelt grin broke over the other doctor's face. "Doctor McCoy…You're about to make a lot of people around here very happy."

* * *

What got to Billy was how clean everything was.

He was used to being on ships and had been on a couple of Battlestars before _Galactica. _But even the top of the line ships fresh off the assembly line still had some grind to them, some wear and tear. But the _Enterprise_ was fresh all over, not a speck of dirt to be found. It seemed brighter as well, the hallways almost gleaming despite the darker tones of some of the industrial walls.

But what really seemed different was the mood of the ship. There was the same professional decorum of the Battlestar, the various officers all cool on duty. The uniforms were different, especially the women, but he could tell they were all dedicated to their work. But more than that was how hopeful they were, not the overwhelming gloom that too often held the Colonials tight. Just being here lifted the young man's spirits and for the first time in a very long time, he allowed himself true hope for the future of the fleet.

At the moment, the group was packed inside one of the "turbo lifts" the _Enterprise_ used to get from deck to deck. Billy was quite grateful for them, tired of the constant climbing up ladders needed on _Galactica. _He and Felix were at one end of the lift with Kirk standing at the side. Between them, Deanna Biers and her cameraman faced Kirk, who spoke into the camera.

"The _Enterprise_ is what's called a Constitution-class starship," he said in a friendly tone. "The current crew complement is roughly four hundred and thirty from a dozen different Federation worlds. Our primary mission is to explore uncharted regions of the galaxy, to contact new races if we can and find new worlds for possible future colonization."

"Are there a lot of worlds fit for human life?" Biers asked in her professional manner.

"A surprising number," Kirk confirmed. "There are various theories as to why so many worlds are capable of supporting humanoid life but I'll leave that for the science briefings later. Suffice to say, the universe is a vast place and we are finding more and more worlds with new discoveries upon them."

"And just what does this Federation do with the populations of those worlds?" Biers asked with a hard edge.

Kirk kept his cool. "As I mentioned before, the Federation holds to the Prime Directive, which prevents us from interfering in the development of societies of non-Federation worlds. It is the choice of the governments of those planets whether they wish to petition for full membership or be merely an affiliated world. We do not simply take away any resources without permission."

Biers was about to speak when the lift stopped and the doors opened. Into the lift stepped a figure about Biers height and in the red skirt of a female crewmember. However, instead of skin, there was orange fur as the woman was clearly a walking cat, complete with black nose, whiskers and a tail slinking behind her. "Captain," she purred.

"Lieutenant M'Ress," Kirk responded. "Headed to the bridge?"

"I needed to get some log files from Uhura before I get back to engineering, sir," the feline officer replied.

"I had forgotten we were close to the shift change," Kirk noted. He became aware of the stares the Colonials were giving the feline alien. "I suppose this answers the question you have about other types of alien life in the universe."

Biers swallowed, trying to regain her professional face. "Um…you'll pardon me, Captain, we've never actually met any…alien life before."

"I had surmised," Kirk smiled as the turbo lift came to a stop. The doors opened as Kirk led the group onto the bridge. The cameraman looked around to take in the area as a man in a yellow shirt rose up from the chair in the middle. "Captain."

"Thank you, Mr. Sulu," Kirk said as he moved to the chair, stopping before it to face the camera. "As you can see, this is a bit smaller than the command center on the _Galactica _but the computer systems on board our ship manage to handle it all."

"You allow networking on your systems?" Felix asked, his face concerned. "That could be dangerous if the Cylons show up, Captain. They can infiltrate your systems, just as they did with ours."

"Actually, I believe Mr. Spock is handling that now," Kirk said with a smile. "He's confident our systems can handle any intrusion and one thing I've learned to count on is his confidence."

Felix seemed unsure but Biers moved on. "Captain, is there any way we can get a tour of the rest of the ship? I'm sure the fleet will be most interested in seeing how your people live and work."

"We will be doing some tours later," Kirk explained. "You understand, several sections of the ship will be off-limits for security reasons." He nodded to a nearby red-shirted man. "Lead them to the mess hall, we can at least get them some food." The guard nodded as he directed the group back to the turbo-lift. Kirk sat in his chair as they left. As soon as the doors closed, he pushed the communication console on his chair's arm. "Mr. Spock, what's the status of our computer systems?"

"_I am confident our systems will be able to handle any outside virus, Captain," _his first officer's calm voice answered. _"The lack of knowledge of their systems does prevent me from total success with my calculations but I am still of the belief it will maintain security."_

"Very well. I have the Colonial guests headed toward the mess hall. I assume security will be watching them." Kirk took a breath. "What's the status of Harry Mudd?"

"_He has been sequestered in a guest room, Captain," _Spock answered. _"He has been somewhat…boisterous in requests for food and drink." _

Kirk sighed. "Whatever keeps him happy and out of my hair, Mr. Spock. I've got too many things to worry about now than his sordid tale of how he ended up with these people. Kirk out." He switched the communicator off as he looked toward the dual consoles before him. "Mr. Sulu, any luck identifying the signatures of these FTL drives?"

"Nothing definite, Captain," the man answered. "Mr. Chekov and I have gone over the first data transmission from Mr. Scott and run through the recordings of the ships' arrivals."

"It still does not match standard warp drives, Keptain," Chekov added. "There is little we can do about a warning should a Cylon wessel arrive."

"At least we can stand up to their weapons if they are indeed like those of the Colonials," Sulu said.

"Let's not assume anything just yet, Mr. Sulu," Kirk cautioned. "From what the Colonials said, these Cylons can be quite tricky."

* * *

Deanna Biers smiled as she made her way through the small hallway. Apparently, these humans weren't much brighter than the ones back in the fleet. It had taken her little effort to use Gaeta and Billy's questioning to slip out of the mess hall right under the guards' noses. She had been memorizing every inch of the layout of the ship, her specialized mind noting the details of where certain crew members were headed. Thus, she was able to steal away quickly to the section she wanted after only a short lift ride.

She glanced about to make sure she wasn't being followed before heading to the section titled "Engineering." She paused by a doorway and peeked around it to see a large room with various computer screens and mechanical devices strewn about. Men and a couple of women in red and blue jumpsuits were working at the stations, all too intent to glance up at the room above. Seeing what appeared to be a computer console nearby, Biers moved toward it. She glanced about once more before tapping the screen. She smiled to herself as she pulled up her sleeve and pressed her nails into the flesh right below her wrist. She grunted as blood came out but soon a pair of small metallic nodes showed themselves. Reaching to the computer, Deanna pulled out a long wire and slid it into her arm. She closed her eyes as she let the Cylon part of her flow out and merge with the computer systems. It would only take a moment to access this system and then unleash the virus. The _Enterprise_ would be dead in the water as soon as the Cylons arrived and…

Deanna's eyes shot open wide with shock. All computers had a language and to Cylons, it was as easy to decipher as any Colonial tongue. But this…this was completely unexpected. The codes, the symbols, the lines of data…none of it remotely resembled Colonial systems at all. It was like trying to talk to a complete alien life form.

But it wasn't just the language that struck her. It was how utterly complex it all was. From what she could tell, this system ran at a speed that made even the best Colonial computer systems look like toys. It was one thing to see the ship and its people but for the first time, it sunk in to Biers how the Federation was far, far more advanced than the Colonies ever were. And even worse was that in comparison, Cylon systems were nothing at all. For the first time in her life in this body, Biers felt fear flow through her mind.

"Pardon me."

Biers leapt, spinning about at the sound. She saw Spock standing in the doorway with a pair of red-shirted men, each aiming their weapons at her. The first officer's expression was calm as she spoke. "I am certain this section was classified as off-limits to you."

Deanna swallowed, the wire still in her wrist as her mind whirled for an explanation. Spock merely glanced at it with no surprise. "Our sensors detected the differences in your body chemistry as soon as you arrived on the ship. Captain Kirk and I decided it was best to monitor you and confirm our suspicions. You will accompany us to the brig."

Deanna glared at him before gripping a chair and hurling it at the trio. They instinctively ducked and Biers charged forward, planning to use her enhanced strength to knock them back. She was more than a bit surprised when Spock caught her easily, not giving in at the least to her. Biers tried to throw a punch but Spock brushed her arm back and struck with his right hand onto her neck, the fingers and thumb spread as they touched the base of her neck and then flexed. Biers' eyes rolled upward as she lost all feeling in her limbs. The last thought that flickered through her mind was annoyance at how damn realistic they had to make these human bodies.

* * *

Roslin stared in disbelief at McCoy as she sat on the bed in the medical bay. "You…can cure cancer."

McCoy nodded. "We've had that cure for a long time on Earth. We'd have to get you over to the _Enterprise_ in order to get the right equipment but we should be able to flush it out of your system in a couple of days."

Adama stood nearby, his face cool. "What about side effects?" he asked in a suspicious tone.

McCoy shrugged. "She'll be a bit dizzy for a few days but that'll pass quickly."

Adama's eyes narrowed. "And what's the price for this?"

"No price," McCoy answered, surprised at the question. "Just trying to help."

"You cure our president and don't expect us to bend to any concessions in return?"

"I'm a doctor, not a politician," McCoy fired back. "Doesn't matter to me who the patient is, I'm duty bound to help them. I'm offering a way to help this woman out. You don't want it, I'm sorry but it is her choice."

Adama looked to Roslin. "Madame President…Laura…There's still a lot about these people we don't know. There's no telling how their medicines might affect you."

"I wouldn't be recommending this unless I was sure it would work," McCoy argued. "But again, this is her choice and…"

A loud klaxon began to sound, jarring everyone. Adama immediately moved to a nearby phone and picked it up, pushing some buttons. "Adama. Situation?" He listened and nodded. "Scramble the fighters. I'll be right there." He hung up as he faced Roslin. "We've got two Basestars jumping in. "Madame President, I need you to stay here."

He moved to the door before pausing to glance back at Bones. "I hope your Captain is ready for them."

"He will be," McCoy said without any doubt.

* * *

In his chair at the center of the bridge, Kirk studied the two Cylon ships on the view screen. They were larger than he expected and felt a twinge of unease at their sinister design with multiple points stabbing outward. "Analysis?"

Spock was at his station, gazing into the scanner. "The construction is similar to the Kobolian ships, Captain. Their armament is roughly the same as well. I am detecting life scenes that match those of the Cylon claiming to be Deanna Biers."

Kirk nodded. He hadn't been thrilled at the idea of letting Biers on the ship after the scanners picked up her true nature but believed it was better to wait and make sure she knew what she was. She was now in the brig under heavy guard while security was keeping an eye on Billy, Gaeta and the cameraman, although all had appeared honestly shocked when told of what Biers had done.

"_Galactica _has launched fighters, Captain," Sulu announced from the helm.

"The Cylon wessels have also launched fighters, Keptain," Chekov added. The screen adjusted to show a close-up of the Cylon fighters, their wide wings jutting outward as a red light flashed across the head-like centers.

"Bring us between the fleet and the fighters," Kirk ordered. "Bring us to Red Alert." The ship began to move as alarms sounded and the lights of the bridge flashed.

"Captain," Uhura spoke up. "I have managed to isolate the Cylon's radio frequencies. They are a bit more complicated than the Kobolian ships but still easy enough to access."

"Open a channel," Kirk said as he pushed a button on his chair. "Attention, Cylon vessels. This is Captain James Kirk of the _U.S.S. Enterprise_, representing the United Federation of Planets. We are aware of the conflict between you and the people of the Colonies of Kobol. They are now under the protecting of the Federation and we will not accept hostile action against them."

He paused and watched the screen. "Cylon fighters 1000 kilometers and closing, Captain," Sulu announced.

Kirk pushed the button again. "Cylon ships, I must warn you that we have caught the agent called Deanna Biers. She is being held in our brig and your virus does not work on our systems."

* * *

"What the frak did he just say?!" Tigh demanded. He was staring at the speakers on the Battlestar's command deck, his face carrying the same stunned expression as most of the people on board. Evidentially, when Uhura accessed the Cylon's communication lines, it was on the same frequencies as the Battlestar so they could hear every word.

"Biers…" Adama muttered. "A Cylon…"

"Son of a bitch," Tigh rasped. "Always knew there was something off about that woman…"

"Sir," Dee called from her place nearby. "The _Enterprise_ has situated itself between us and the Cylons."

"_Galactica Actual," _Lee's voice came over the speakers. _"They're sitting right in front of us. We go ahead or hold back?"_

Adama picked up the phone to speak. "All fighters hold. Let's see just what these people are really capable of."

"All ships are prepped for emergency jump," Tigh relayed.

Adama stared up at the screens with a hard face. "Let's see if they can live up to their hype then."

* * *

"500 kilometers and closing," Sulu announced.

Kirk activated the communicator. "Cylon vessels, this is your last warning. Any hostile action taken upon this ship will be interpreted as an act of war upon the Federation."

On the screen, several of the fighters seemed to flash as long tendrils of displaced space billowed outward. "Incoming missiles, Keptain," Chekov said.

Kirk instinctively braced himself even though he knew there was no concern. He could almost see in his mind the sight of the projectiles smashing into the _Enterprise's _shields, erupting in harmless puffs of flame and smoke that didn't even dent the force fields.

"Shields holding at full, Captain," Sulu said. "Cylon fighters now 300 kilometers and closing."

Kirk nodded. He'd given them a chance but his course was now clear. "Mr. Chekov, lock onto the first wave of fighters."

Chekov pushed a button and a beeping went out as his screen lit up. "Locked, Keptain."

"Fire a wide arc upon that wave."

"Aye, sir," Chekov said as he pushed on the buttons. On the view screen, Kirk saw the twin beams of blue light cut through the sky at the Cylon ships. They struck the first wave of fighters dead on, ripping through the metal like a hot knife through butter. The beams arced about, destroying more fighters. The rest of them scattered before coming back together, taking aim at the _Enterprise_. Bullets and missiles harmlessly bounced upon the shields. "Fire again," Kirk said and Chekov complied, another beam cutting several fighters down.

"Captain, I am detecting a spike in radiation on board one of the larger Cylon ships," Spock called out, staring into his monitor. "I believe they are preparing a nuclear missile."

"Mr. Sulu, target the Basestar," Kirk immediately said. "Send out two photon torpedoes."

"The fighters are still coming at us, Keptain," Chekov noted.

"Then fire at will, Mr. Chekov," Kirk ordered.

* * *

"_Sweet Mother of Artemis_!"

Kat wasn't known for being the most religious of people so her stunned exclamation was all the more notable. It was hard to argue as most of the Viper pilots were thinking much along the same lines. They all stared as two globes of light burst out from underneath the _Enterprise's _main dish. They struck one of the Basestars dead on, immediately causing a massive explosion at the center of the star. One of those wide beams fired out to carve off one of the spiked arms of the ship, causing it to crash onto the lower half. It listed to the side, flame bursting outward from various angles. Meanwhile, other beams continued to vaporize the Cylon fighters, going from arcing over groups to targeting each separately.

"Holy frak," Starbuck gasped as she took in the destruction. "Those are…lasers. Honest to Gods lasers like the old comics!"

In his own Viper, Lee shook his head as he activated the communicator. _"Galactica_…You would not believe this. There's….I swear to Gods, they're using laser beams to rip through the fighters and…"

A blasting light filled the dark skies as the Basestar exploded in flames from another pair of torpedoes. The remaining Cylon fighters were making a beeline for the other ship which was starting to fall back.

"They just took out a frakking Basestar in one minute," Hotdog dully said.

There was a pause before Starbuck finally said what they were all thinking. "If that's just one ship…Anyone imagine what the entire Starfleet is capable of?"

A chilling silence filled the air. The same silence that was on the bridge of the _Galactica _as Tigh and Adama gazed at one another with that same fearful question on their minds.

* * *

"Remaining Cylon ship pulling back, Captain," Sulu announced.

Kirk pushed the communication button once more. "Cylons, you have now seen our strength and our commitment. Be advised we are only one ship, there are a lot more where we came from. Any further intrusions upon our space will be met with force."

He was to speak more when that white flash went out and the Basestar vanished as quickly as it had arrived. Kirk settled back in his chair, feeling the adrenaline of the moment fade from his body. He'd sounded more confident than he'd truly felt as he knew that should the Cylons come in more numbers, the battle might go differently.

"Captain." He swiveled his chair to face Uhura. "Sir, Commander Adama is on the line. He…seems most insistent on speaking with you at once."

Kirk took a deep breath. "Mr. Spock, you have the bridge. I believe the Commander is going to have some questions for us."

"It seems logical he is upset over your not telling him at once of Ms. Biers," Spock suggested. "And our display of force seems to have unsettled them as well."

"We can only hope it's not by too much," Kirk sighed as he headed to the turbo lift to face a no doubt most troubling conversation.

* * *

**The Character of M'Ress is from the Star Trek Animated Series. Sorry for the delay, hope the next update isn't as long.**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Journey's Trek**

**By Michael Weyer**

* * *

The silence in the lab was something Baltar wasn't used to that often. At least not when his strange companion was about. He was enjoying the opportunity to study her. He was still unsure if she truly was a projection from a chip or some sort of hallucination but the scientist in him found it fascinating to wonder either way. At the moment, he was taking in how changed his apparition was.

Her body was not in one of its normal low-cut dresses but a simple pair of jeans and shirt. More dramatic than her change of wardrobe was her face. Usually it was smiling, that cool and arrogant smile of utter control. But now, it was an expression of worry as she gazed at the wall in silence.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Baltar asked. "Or do you Cylons even bother with money anymore?"

Six didn't reply but kept staring outward. "All right, as much as I enjoy not being on the receiving end of your never-ending condensation, this silence is getting rude."

She turned her head to him and he started as he actually saw a glimmer of tears in her eyes. "I heard them crying out. The thousands on the ship when it was destroyed. Cut out without any warning at all, left adrift in space…"

Baltar managed a smile. "Well, well, I suppose you know how it must have felt for the countless humans you've left in the same state then."

She didn't seem to notice, shaking her head. "Those weapons…Those are generations ahead of what we can even dream of. They cut through a Basestar with no trouble at all, slaughtered dozens of our fighters and we couldn't even hurt them." She gazed at him with true fear in her eyes. "We had no idea…no idea Earth could be so strong."

Baltar couldn't help but rub some salt into the wound. "From what I could tell from the initial briefings Captain Kirk gave us, these Klingon and Romulan races are even more war-like and advanced in the ways of combat."

The blonde apparition shivered at the thought. "God help us."

"Somehow, I doubt your God is on your side right now." After so many months of this woman throwing Cylon superiority in his face, Baltar was quite enjoying seeing her at such a loss. His musings were interrupted by a knock on his door. He rose up to undo the lock, having learned the hard way it paid not to have one of his "encounters" with his unseen companion walked in on. He swung the door open to see Duella on the other side.

"Mr. Vice-President," she said. "The Commander is requesting your presence in the conference room. Captain Kirk is coming over to discuss the situation with the Cylons."

"I'll be there shortly," Baltar said as the man saluted and backed away. Baltar moved to get his coat and tie and glanced over at Six. "Coming?"

She shook her head. "You can tell me about it later. I need…I need to think about this. And pray."

Baltar stared at her, his humor slowly fading as he saw her worry. If the Cylons were truly afraid of the threat these Earthlings posed, it made him wonder how this could effect the Colonial fleet.

* * *

Laura Roslin tapped her nails on the table impatiently. She hated giving the impression she was upset but her resolve was fading under the tension of the long day. Adama and Tigh were both present at the table along with a couple of soldiers as Baltar entered. McCoy was nearby with Scotty, the two men's' uniforms standing in bold contrast to the rest of the people at the table.

"Where are they?" Tigh was asking as Baltar took a seat. "Still no sign of a shuttle leaving their ship and your captain said he was coming right over."

"He'll be here," McCoy said calmly. "Probably just finishing up a few things before he comes over."

"It had best be soon," Roslin stated. "I need to get a handle on this quickly. Biers had a bit of a following here in the fleet, once it gets out she was a Cylon…"

Her words were cut off by a strange buzzing sound. Everyone turned to the side of the room where a shimmering of light and color suddenly appeared. The soldiers snapped up their rifles instantly as the outline of a trio of figures could be seen. The colors soon coalesced into the figures of Kirk, Billy and Gaeta. The latter two men were letting out gasps as they solidified while Kirk was non-plussed. "Madam President," he said in greetings.

For one of the few times in his life, Gaius Baltar was at a total loss for words. He was in good company as Roslin, Adama and Tigh were also all jarred by the sudden appearance. Billy moved to a seat and fell into it, rubbing his chest. "That was…oh my Gods, that was incredible! One second we were on the ship and then we were here!"

"What the frak?" Tigh blurted.

"Transporter technology," Kirk explained. "It's the usual method of travel for starship personnel. We are able to dematerialize the human body, send it to a nearby planet or ship where it's rematerialized."

"Matter transference," Blatar weakly said. "But…how? The logistics of reassembling the solid matter is one thing but reworking the brain patterns and memories into the same shape without damage…"

"The science is a bit complicated to go into now," Kirk said. "We had thought it best not to use it earlier. Often, too much advanced technology at first can be overwhelming in a first contact situation."

"I think you've done enough overwhelming as it is, Captain," Roslin replied, recovering, her voice taking on a steely edge. "At which point where you planning to inform us you had discovered a Cylon?"

Kirk remained calm. "We had only discovered it via our sensors when Deanna Biers came aboard our ship, Madam President. There wasn't time to inform you of it as we did not know her exact plans. The arrival of the Cylon ships was something we didn't expect either."

"Well, you have her now," Tigh said. "So how's about handing her over?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Kirk replied.

Roslin narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me?"

"She committed attempted espionage on a Federation vessel," Kirk went on. "And as the Cylons are now considered a hostile force to the Federation, that makes her an enemy combatant and as such falls under our jurisdiction."

"We have more experience with the Cylons, Captain," Roslin said. "We need to know what she knows about any other Cylons in the fleet. We need to learn what she's told the rest of them about us and…"

"And then flush her out an airlock?"

Roslin was thrown by Kirk's sharp interruption. The captain moved forward, his face hard. "I had though Harry Mudd was exaggerating about that, President Roslin. But then your aide told me." He nodded to Billy nearby. "He told me of this habit you have of simply killing off the Cylons you have."

"It's the least the frakkers deserve," Tigh remarked.

Roslin ignored him, focusing on Kirk. "They're machines, Captain. Murderous, soulless constructs."

"They're sentient beings, Madam President," Kirk retorted. "Far more than mere machines. The Federation is not in the habit of simply executing their prisoners without the benefit of a trial."

"They never gave us any trial or warning before committing genocide!"

"And that gives you the right to return the favor?" Kirk fired back. "They may be hostile but they are also intelligent life forms and the Federation will treat them as such."

Roslin shook her head. "Captain, they have to be exterminated before they kill us. You're under some sort of oath to aid us, aren't you?"

"In giving protection, yes," Kirk intoned. "In taking back your home worlds and aiding you in your quest for vengeance, no. At least not until the Federation Council makes their final decision."

Adama felt it was time to step in. "Captain, Madam President, this is obviously a tense situation. For now, since Biers is on the _Enterprise_, it would be best for them to examine her for now." He glanced at Kirk. "I hope that any information you find on her might be shared with us."

Kirk slowly nodded. "We can try our best but there are limits to how much of Federation technology I'm permitted to show."

Adama nodded. "I suggest we perhaps take a break here and let tempers cool down, approach this in a rational fashion later." He paused to glance at Kirk with a stern look in his eyes. "However, Captain, I do agree that it would be best if anything that threatens the fleet is brought to our attention immediately."

Kirk nodded in agreement. "Very well." He looked to his crewmates. "Doctor, Mr. Scott, I believe you both have some information to share." The two stood and moved next to Kirk as he removed a communicator from his pocket. "Kirk to _Enterprise._ Three to beam up." There was a pause and then that same shimmering took hold and the three men soon vanished.

A long silence came over the room before Adama turned to Gaeta. "Lieutenant?"

Felix took a breath. "Sir, their ship is…amazing. Less than five hundred people total but it's run like clockwork, everything is so advanced. They have these machines in their mess that can create food in seconds. We had a full lunch there in on time flat. And their engine room…" He swallowed. "They say they use antimatter."

Baltar's jaw nearly dropped to the table at that and the rest seemed thrown as well. "I know, I know, I couldn't believe it but it looks like it's the truth."

"They're advanced, sir," Billy added. "I mean, more advanced than we dreamed of. I got a look at some data pads they had of some of their literary works. It's pretty amazing how far back they go in writing and history. It looks like Earth had a pretty rough history of constant wars with itself but they overcame that and became a key part of this Federation."

Roslin removed her forehead to rub the bridge of her nose. "Apparently, they're not advanced enough to understand how serious a threat the Cylons are." She bit her lip. "If it came to a fight….what is our status?"

"No chance whatsoever."

Everyone turned to Blatar in surprise. The man's face was drawn as he spoke in a quiet but serious voice. "They have antimatter. They have laser weapons. They have transporter technology. There is no way we can fight that."

"Doctor…" Roslin began.

Baltar looked at her, his eyes wide. "Madam President, do you know how far away we were from even beginning to crack matter transference? Decades from managing to figure out how to transport an apple. Dissembling and reintegrating a physical body on a molecular level was impossible by our standards. And managing to replicate the human brain with no damage at all?" He threw out his hands. "These people have not only managed that, they treat it as a normal way of transport, no more odd than a train ride! You cannot possibly expect us to be able to stand against that!"

"He's right," Adama stated. "Even a top of the line Battlestar would be hard-pressed to stand against that ship, Madam President. And against a whole fleet…" He shook his head.

"I hate this," Roslin remarked, standing to pace. "I hate the idea that we're being…browbeaten into accepting this Federation."

"They're not forcing us, Madam President," Billy was quick to point out.

"Hell if they're not," Tigh snorted. "They know we can't go on much further without supplies and protection. They got us over a barrel and they know it."

"They do want to help," Billy insisted. "I really think they're sincere on it."

"I don't know," Felix remarked, stroking his chin. "I was reading some of their texts too, particularly on Earth religions. One of them, from a place called Greece, seems to hold to the same Gods as us, same names and it's one of Earth's older cultures."

Roslin brightened at that. "How old?'

Felix sighed. "That's the problem. That particular region has history going back 5000 years. From what I gather, it looks as if some Earth cultures predate that by several millennia. And that's just the civilizations, it looks like human life there went back as far as 15,000 years and more."

"Is there a major difference with their calendar?" Adama pressed.

Gaeta shook his head. "A bit of a minor difference in counting days and months, sir, but nowhere near the gap to explain this." He looked at Roslin with an apologetic expression. "Madam President, I'm sorry…But by all evidence, there's no way the exodus from Kobol could have settled on the Earth the Federation knows."

Roslin rubbed at her head hard. The idea of explaining to the religious leaders of the fleet how the sacred texts were wrong did not sit well with her in the least. She had to push aside how her own faith was working for the moment as the fleet came first. ""They still have Biers."

"At the moment, I say they can have her," Tigh growled. "They wanna cut that thing open and find out how she ticks, saves us the trouble."

"That still leaves the problem of the Federation," Adama stated. "Whether or not we accept their help despite the risks to our society."

"Frankly, I don't think we have a choice," Felix said. "I studied what records they had on these other races like the Klingons and the Romulans and they're even stronger than the Federation without the moral ground. At least with the Federation, we'd have some protection."

Roslin sighed as she sat back down. "I still don't like the idea of us being pushed into it."

"Maybe the old saying is true," Baltar offered. "It's better to be at the right hand of the devils than in their path."

Tigh leaned in toward Adama. "When Baltar's the one quoting scripture, I think it's time we all started worrying."

His old friend was hard-pressed to argue.

* * *

In contrast to the _Galactica,_ the conference room on the _Enterprise_ was quite clean and bright as Kirk and his officers sat around the table. "Spock, what is the status of the Cylon prisoner?"

"Still unconscious, Captain," the Vulcan replied. "I suspect some part of her system may have initiated a shutdown procedure once she was discovered."

"I'll check on her later," McCoy stated. "As for these Kobolians, most are suffering hunger, dehydration and a few diseases that we could fix in little time."

"Any special cases?" Kirk asked.

McCoy fixed him with a hard look. "Unlike you, Jim, I don't play around with the rules. Hippocratic Oath still exists out here as does doctor/patient confidentiality."

Kirk made a small smile. "I admire your dedication, Bones but Roslin's aide already slipped on her cancer during a talk."

McCoy glowered a bit at being maneuvered that easily. "Well, I could fix that but she seems resistant. Especially now that we've upset them with the whole Cylon deal."

Kirk turned to face Scotty. "What have you found out about their warp drive, Mr. Scott?"

"They call it the FTL drive," Scotty responded. "Uses an ore that I don't recognize. I couldn't get a close look at it but I talked to a few of the crew there and they seem to have mastered folding space."

"That's a trick that'd be a boon for the Federation," Bones noted.

"As it would for the Klingons and Romulans," Spock added.

"That makes it all the more important to keep these people under close watch," Kirk noted.

"There is another issue, Captain," Spock began. "It involves Harry Mudd."

Kirk closed his eyes in pain before opening and letting out a resigned sigh. "What is it, Mr. Spock?"

"Evidentially, he has been forthcoming about the circumstances that led him to meeting the Kobolians." He leaned forward and pushed a button on the video screen at the center of the conference table. Mudd was shown lounging in a comfortable chair in his room, sipping from a goblet.

"So there I was, minding my own business after a deal took a turn southward when this massive rift in space opens up without warning. I really wish you could detect those wormholes, you know, make a pretty profit that way. I found myself on Caprica, managed to set up a rather tidy shop there…"

"No doubt overcharging prices," Spock intoned from off-screen.

Mudd simply shrugged. "The economic crunch is a universal constraint, Mr. Spock. One must make do as one can. I would like to think I should be commended for not attempting to introduce any higher technology to this strange world!"

"You did not have any, did you?"

Ignoring the question, Mudd went on. "I was just getting things off the ground nicely when that nasty Cylon attack occurred. I barely managed to get out on a ship and soon realized the fleet a man of my unique talents…"

"Criminal background would be the more precise term."

"Would be helpful for the fleet. And that brings us to today."

Spock switched the view screen off as Kirk rubbed his head. "Just…keep an eye on him, please. I don't need the added hassle of Mr. Mudd to deal with on top of everything else here."

"These people are a bit rough on the spirit, Captain," Scotty offered. "Tension on those ships is so thick, ye can cut it with a knife. Despite the fact they're united by survival, they still have tensions thanks to religions and what colonies they came from."

"They have been through a holocaust of epic proportions, Mr. Scott," Kirk pointed out. "Finding out the existence of other life in the universe must also be a tremendous shock. It's our job to ensure that doesn't devastate them too much so the Federation can help."

"The issue of the Cylons is something to consider, Captain," Spock intoned. "I fear our show of force will only embolden them to attack again, which can put the situation in this quadrant in serious tension."

"Aye," Scotty said. "Imagine what'd happen if one of those Basestars ended up attacking the Klingons." He paused and smiled. "Come to think of it, would be a fight worth watching."

"We have to do our best not to let this erupt into a full-scale war," Kirk stated. "For now, we stick to the guidelines. Bones, make a list of the medical needs for the fleet, as much as we can do for them. Spock, if Biers wakes up, I want you to question her."

"A Vulcan interrogating a machine?" McCoy smirked. "Sounds like the dream encounter for you, Spock."

"I am looking forward to debating an actually logical mind at last," the Vulcan replied without missing a beat.

Kirk hid a smile as he continued. "For now, Starfleet wants us to hold the fleet here while they decide the issue. We should be getting another ship soon with more supplies and to aid in protection. Our main duty…"

He was interrupted by a buzzing from the desk. "_Bridge to Captain Kirk,"_ Sulu intoned. _"Captain, we are detecting ships entering our sector."_

Kirk pressed a button to speak. "What kind, Mr. Sulu?"

"_That's the key thing, sir. According to our sensors, the configuration of the main ship matches that of the _Galactica."

The men had surprised looks as they rose up. "I thought they said they had the last Battlestar?" Bones asked.

"They did," Kirk stated as he headed to the door. "Gentlemen, it looks like we may be playing chaperones to an unexpected reunion."

* * *

**Apologies for the delay, hope this makes up for it. Next chapter has a meeting of ships with a rather surprising twist to things. **


	7. Chapter 7

The Journey's Trek

By Michael Weyer

* * *

Cylons did not enjoy human emotions. That was something they made clear every chance they got. But for the group gathered on the Basestar near the Hub, it was time to indulge in a new experience to its utmost.

A One was glaring down the long table at the various human faces squabbling and yelling over each other. His aged face tightened as he finally smacked a hand down hard on the table. "Everyone _shut the frak up_ before I tell the Centurions to start shooting for a recess!"

It got the desired effect as the others quieted down, although several still obviously had something to say. The One brushed back his grey hair as he calmed down. "Okay…we have a situation here, that's obvious."

"As ever, the master of understatement," a Six responded with sarcasm. "Somehow, the humans have found themselves a ship of a class stronger than any we've ever seen before."

"Not the Colonials," a Three stated. "This Federation."

The Six scoffed. "Please, there is no such thing."

"Are you sure?" an Eight asked. "You saw those weapons. We couldn't so much as scratch her and she was using firepower the likes of which we've never experienced before, stronger than we've ever suspected the Colonials having."

"She's right," another Six stated. "We infiltrated every part of Colonial society, including research and development. There is no way they could have built something like this ship in utter secrecy."

"Not only that," A Five spoke up. "But we all know the arrogance these humans have. They wouldn't bother with some story of a Federation, they'd proclaim themselves as being of the Twelve Colonies and ready to destroy us."

"So what are you saying?" the first Six asked.

"We're saying," the Five continued. "That we may have just royally pissed off a force even more powerful than we are."

That got a long silence going as the others took in her words. "So what suggestions do we have on the table?" the One asked.

"We need more information before we can decide anything," a Four spoke up. "They may have captured Deanna but we still have a few agents within the fleet." He nodded toward the One, who gave a replying nod back. "We already learned the hard way that we can't take them the same way we did the Colonials."

"Not if we want less of a waste of the Hub," the Three agreed.

"We might also want to hold our forces back," the Six suggested. "We don't know enough of this Federation to know how large it is. We can't risk blundering into an area that might have a dozen of these ships. I propose we concentrate on the Colonies for now until we have more information."

"I do think some scouts would be beneficial," a Five piped up. "There's no reason to totally suspend operations because of this Federation. We need to gauge their strength some way."

The One looked over the table. "Agreed?" A chorus of nods and vocal confirmations followed. "It's decided. We gather more information before we make our next move. Hopefully, it's not as bad as we think and we can still exterminate the rest of humanity."

That Six shook her head. "I don't know. I have a bad feeling about how this will turn out."

The One smiled at her. "Relax. If there's one thing we can count on with humanity, it's their amazing ability to make our job easier for us."

* * *

"DRADIS contact!" Gaeta called out from his station as the red lights flashed around the CiC. Adama was moving to the center of the room gazing up at the screens, Tigh next to him. "Multiple bogeys, sir, can't make them out yet."

"Get the Vipers scrambled," Adama ordered.

"Sir," Dee spoke up, her face frowning. "Sir, I'm reading some communications…" She looked up with her eyes wide. "Commander, they're sending out on Colonial transponders."

Tigh snorted. "Frakkers are using our own signals against us now."

Dee held a hand to her headpiece. "Sir, I'm getting a call from the _Enterprise."_ At Adama's nod, she pushed a button to put it on the speakers.

"_Commander Adama, we're detecting a small fleet of ships coming toward you. I think you should know that the configuration of the main ship matches the _Galactica."

A stunned silence went up as everyone looked at one another. "Can't be," Tigh muttered. "They must have found one of ours…"

Adama's face was tight as he considered the situation. He reached forward and took the phone off its hook, pushing in a code he thought he'd never have to use again. He waited as a buzzing sound filled the earpiece before it cleared up. "This is Commander Adama of the Battlestar _Galactica_. Hostile challenge and ID."

There was a buzzing before a strong female voice answered. _"To the ship calling itself the _Galactica, _this is the Battlestar _Pegasus. _Adama, is that you?"_

"Admiral Cain," Adama said, a small smile coming to his face. "You don't know how good it is to hear your voice."

"_The same to you, Commander,"_ the woman replied. "_We're detecting several ships at your position. I suppose you got yourself some refugees as well?"_

"We do," Adama confirmed. "Along with some…unique guests."

Kirk appeared to take that as a cue as his voice came on the line. _"This is Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. _Enterprise,_ representing the United Federation of Planets. May I ask whom I am addressing?"_

"_Admiral Helena Cain," _came the reply, which was shrouded with suspicion. "_What is this Federation?"_

"_A topic I believe it would be much better to discuss face to face,"_ Kirk answered. _"Perhaps we can meet with President Roslin."_

"Laura _Roslin?"_ Cain exclaimed. _"The Secretary of Education?!"_

"She was the only one left," Adama informed her. "But don't make my mistake of dismissing her as a schoolteacher. She's got a good backbone as well."

"_I'll have a Raptor sent over ASAP." _There was a pause. _"It's…good to hear from you, Adama. And Captain Kirk, I look forward to seeing you as well."_

Adama hung up the headset and stepped back. Everyone was staring at each other with more wonder than when the _Enterprise_ first showed up. "Maybe there are miracles after all," Adama muttered. At the same time, he couldn't rid himself of a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that there was something wrong about this.

* * *

For the second time in as many days, Kirk was in his dress uniform, standing in the middle of the _Galactica_ hanger bay. The rest of the Colonial crew was also assembled in their best, all watching as the Raptor settled down in the bay. It was a bit cleaner than the ones on _Galactica_, apparently a bit more crisp in the armor as well. "What should I expect?" he asked Adama.

"Helena Cain is one of the most brilliant military minds of her time," Adama answered. "She's pretty hard-nosed, doesn't make friends a lot. However, she gets the respect of most anyone who works with her." He paused and sighed. "That was before the Fall, of course. There's no telling how she may have changed in his travels since."

Kirk nodded as he looked toward the Raptor. The door opened and after a moment, a figure stepped out. She was a tall woman in her forties, her face attractive but also lined with the shape of one used to a hash command. Black hair fell to her shoulders and her crisp blue uniform did little to hide her attractive shape.

She walked down the stairs, a soft smile on her face as she met Adama, who saluted. "Admiral Cain. Welcome aboard."

"Thank you, Commander," Helena smiled. She looked to Kirk, who offered a hand. "Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. _Enterprise, _Admiral."

"Captain," Cain seemed naturally surprised but accepted the hand. She looked around the hanger bay and shook her head. "I can't believe we found you. We've been convinced we were the only ones who survived."

"So did we," Adama smiled. He nodded to where Roslin was standing next to him. "And this is President Laura Roslin."

Cain extended a hand. "Madam President." Her face was clearly showing a bit of disbelief at addressing her in that way.

Roslin simply smiled. "I never expected it either, Admiral. Thank the Gods for your survival."

"It wasn't easy," Cain sighed. "We lost a lot of good people, our resources were strained…" Her face tightened. "I…was tempted to make some bad choices." She brushed it off. "But fortunately, I was reminded of how important it was to help our people out."

"We're glad to hear it," Roslin said. She glanced up to see a couple more figures stepping out of the Raptor. One was a hard-nosed pug-faced man in a uniform with short grey hair. "My XO, Colonel Fisk," Cain said. Her smile seemed to broaden as the final figure exited. "And this is Gina Inviere, my special…"

"_Skin job!" _Tigh yelled out and instantly, every one of the Marines in the bay aimed their rifles at the beautiful woman with light brown hair who froze at the steps of the Raptor. A few of the pilots also had sidearms out and aimed at her, Starbuck and Apollo in the lead. She was clad in a professional suit that went well with her demeanor. While the hair was darker and she was dressed more professionally, there was no mistaking her as an exact double of the woman many on the ship had known as Shelly Godfrey.

"What the frak is this?!" Cain demanded, staring with anger at the rifles aimed at the woman behind her.

"The Cylons look like us, Admiral," Adama answered in a hard tone. "They have several models…"

"We know," Cain interrupted. "We found one on our ship, calling himself Leobeon. He was trying to sabotage our systems but we stopped him, although we had to shoot him in the process."

"He's not the only model," Adama said. "We had one on the ship calling herself Shelly Godfrey. A woman who looks exactly like Miss Inviere."

Cain stared at him before letting out a sharp laugh. "You…no, that can't…" She turned to look at Gina. "Gina, tell him…"

A man in a marine uniform had been coming up behind Gina from within the shuttle, confused at the goings-on. In a lightning fast move, Gina grabbed the rifle and yanked him in, punching him in the face. She tore the rifle away from him and sent him back with a blow that sent him further than a normal human female's blow should have. She whirled around to aim the rifle at Cain, who was standing next to Roslin.

"Hold your fire!" Adama ordered as the Marines leaned in. He could see Gina's finger on the trigger and knew even if she was hit, there was a chance she'd still be able to fire at Cain and Roslin.

Cain was staring at Gina as if never seeing her before. "You…You're…"

The Cylon's face seemed truly shaken. "I'm sorry, Helena…" she said softly. "I really…I really am…" She swallowed. "I was supposed to relay information about your systems, that was it. The rest…us…" She sighed. "That wasn't planned…It was real."

More than a few people in the hanger bay exchanged glances as the implication of that statement sunk in. The distraction was what Kirk needed to slowly reach toward his hip. Cain's face was setting hard as she stared at the Cylon. "The raid on the station…The system error that cost us a hundred pilots…The one that forced us to land on…"

"I didn't mean for that," Gina said. "God, Helena, you think I wanted the ship to find what it did? To put you through…" She seemed unable to say something. "Please, just let me go and-----"

There was a flash of ozone as a beam of solid light suddenly struck Gina on the side. She gasped out, stiffening as her body seemed to glow. She then crumbled to the deck in a heap, rolling down the stairs to land in a heap. Everyone stared at her, then looked toward Kirk, who was holding out a small device in his hand. "Standard issue Federation phaser," he explained. "It was set for stun, she'll recover soon."

"Marines!" Adama called out, motioning to Gina's body. "Get this to the brig with Sharon." The guards were quick to pick up the woman and drag her off. Adama moved to Cain. "Admiral, are you all right?"

Cain was staring after Gina with a haunted look on her face, clearly stunned at this. "Admiral Cain!" Adama said, sharply in order to get through to her. He knew the revelation that the respected military mind had been fooled by a Cylon for some time would be damaging to her and had to break through to her fast.

It worked as she started, then sobered and nodded. "Yes…Yes, I'm all right, Commander, thank you." She looked around the bay at the faces staring at her. "Madam President…May I request we talk in private?"

"By all means, Admiral," Roslin said. They began to make their way through the bay, Cain holding her head up and refusing to let anyone see anything other than calm command in her features.

* * *

Adama handed a glass of bourbon to Cain. "I know we're not supposed to be drinking on duty, Admiral but I think this situation calls for it." He walked across his office to hand Cain the glass. She took it gratefully and swallowed it in one gulp. Adama took another glass for himself as he settled onto the couch. Roslin was behind his desk while Kirk stood to the side, watching the proceedings.

"I'm sorry about what happened, Admiral," Roslin said in a gentle tone. "You're not the only one who's been fooled by the Cylons." She paused. "If you want to discuss it…"

"No," Cain snapped. She sighed, speaking softer. "No…thank you, Madam President." She sighed as she placed the glass on the desk. "I have to apologize for all this. It's been hard, holding things together and to learn I had a Cylon at my side all along…"

"What happened?" Roslin asked. "We assumed the _Pegasus _was lost with the rest of the fleet at the Scorpion Shipyards."

"We almost were," Cain said, seemingly grateful to move to a different topic. "We had to make a blind jump, it was the only way to avoid being destroyed. We lost 700 people but we managed to survive." She brushed at her hair. "We had no idea anyone else managed to escape so we started doing hit and run attacks on the Cylons. One of them was marred by a computer error, we lost a lot of pilots and had to take a…detour for repairs." There was a tiny flash of guilt at understanding the part Gina played in it but it was gone in an instant. "It was shortly after we met the civilian ships."

"You gave them sanctuary," Roslin noted. "That's commendable."

Cain took a breath. "Actually, I have to admit, my first inclination was to strip the ships for parts and let anyone who couldn't help be left behind." She became aware of the stares and quickly went on. "However, an…aide managed to persuade me it'd be better to keep them on." She scratched at a spot behind her ear, the third time she'd done so since being here.

Roslin took a deep breath. "Well…I suppose we need to start integrating your ships into our fleet. As it happens, we could use whatever supplies you have, from computer systems to equipment."

Cain glanced at Kirk. "And what about this…Federation?"

Kirk stepped forward to begin the speech on the Federation Roslin and Adama had heard before. "We are, of course, more than willing to add your people to the rest of the Colonial fleet as we offer protection," Kirk finished.

Cain slowly nodded. "That is most kind of you, Captain." She rose to her feet to face him. "I would like to show you to the _Pegasus_, Captain Kirk. I think it'll be beneficial to show you our state." She glanced toward Adama. "I'd request your presence there as well, Commander."

Roslin coughed. "Admiral, I do require the Commander here to…"

"I'd prefer not to make it an order, Madam President," Cain cut her off, a bit of iron in her tone.

Adama glanced to Roslin with an apologetic gaze. "She does outrank me, Madam President."

"And I outrank her," Roslin said, not turning her gaze from Cain as the other woman itched behind her ear again. She paused and nodded. "But I suppose I could spare you for a few hours, Commander. You'd know the condition of a Battlestar better than I would. I will send Billy with you as a liaison."

"Thank you, Madam President," Adama nodded. He turned to Cain. "I suppose we should get going now?"

Cain nodded as she moved to the door. Kirk stopped to face Roslin. "Madam President…in regards to your new Cylon prisoner…"

"I won't be flushing her out an airlock just yet, Captain," Roslin said. "She could give us some useful information first."

"If you need help in that, Madam President," Cain said in a voice of pure ice. "I know more than a few officers on my ship who would be more than happy to…question that thing thoroughly."

Kirk's face tightened in a frown as he took out his communicator and opened it. "Kirk to Spock."

"_Spock here, Captain."_

"Beam over to the _Galactica_ with a trio of security guards. We have another Cylon model held prisoner and I believe you'd be best for the interrogation."

"_As you wish, Captain."_

Kirk turned the communicator off as the three people in the room stared at him. Roslin was opening her mouth but Kirk cut her off. "I will not condone the mistreatment or torture of a prisoner, no matter what she's done. If you wish to question her, fine, but as long as my ship is involved in this, that Cylon will be treated fairly."

Cain narrowed her eyes but Adama nodded. "Agreed, Captain." He nodded to Roslin. "I'll have Colonel Tigh report to you soon, Madam President." He led the way out as Kirk and Cain followed, each giving the other a stern look. Roslin rubbed her head, feeling a weight lift off the room and tried to rid the nagging feeling something else was going on.

* * *

The Raptor was a bit rougher than a Federation shuttle but Kirk had been in rougher rides. He was still in his dress uniform, Adama on one side of him with Billy on the other. Cain was nearby, Fisk having stayed on the _Galactica. _The Admiral was strangely quiet, staring at one wall. Adama decided she was still in shock over the revelation of Gina and decided it wasn't the best time to press her.

Kirk felt a shake as the Raptor landed inside of the hanger deck. Cain rose up first to head to the doorway. "One moment, while I make sure they're ready," she ordered. The door opened and she made her way out. Billy rose to brush as his rumpled suit and smiled at Kirk. "Your transporter may be faster, Captain, but I still prefer the old fashioned way better."

"Doctor McCoy would agree with you," Kirk smiled back. Cain's voice came to them. "Gentlemen…we're ready."

Adama took the lead, stepping out of the Raptor, followed by Kirk and then Billy. The young man blinked his eyes at the bright lights and thus took a moment to see the platoon of people aiming rifles at them. Cain stood with them, hands behind her back, her chin resolute. "Disarm them," she ordered.

Kirk was taken aback enough for a pair of marines to grab him, quickly removing his phaser and communicator. Adama was also stripped of his sidearm as Billy threw up his hands in surrender. "What the hell is this?!" Adama demanded in fury.

"Please, Commander," Cain said, her face sober. "Don't make this harder." She nodded to the Marines and they moved in, pushing the trio of sudden prisoners forward.

As they marched down the hallways, Adama furiously tried to understand this. He briefly considered Cain a Cylon but that didn't make sense. The anger at discovering Gina was too natural to be faked. That the woman had snapped somehow seemed the obvious answer and yet it didn't explain how she appeared sensible enough to be able to maintain command.

For his part, Kirk was quiet, mind whirling as he tried to focus on a way out of this, wishing he'd brought some security officers of his own with him. He glanced at some of the Marines, who wore the standard black uniforms and helmets, their rifles held in steady hands. He peered closely at them, at how they appeared quite attractive as well as strong. A bizarre feeling came over him, something that seemed so familiar…

They were led into the _Pegasus' _CiC. It was cleaner than the _Galactica_, not as large, the computers much more advanced but boasted the same large table with a glowing map of the stars on it. Before the table stood a man whose back was to the group, clad in dark pants and shirt and once more, that feeling of déjà vu came over Kirk.

"Admiral," Adama hissed. "You'd better have one damn good explanation for this."

She stepped near the map table, her face grave, scratching at her ear once more. "I'm…I'm sorry, Commander. I really am but…I can't control this."

Adama let his eyes rake across the room. Kirk saw for the first time how several of the people at stations were in uniform but others were dressed in much looser clothing, their hair longer. Each of them, however, were a perfect mix of athleticism and beauty who gazed at the captives with cool faces of superiority.

Adama brought himself up to speak at his most commanding tone. "I can understand your loyalty to your commander. But you all swore an oath to defend the principles of the Colonies and what is happening here is…"

"Save your breath, Commander," the man at the table spoke up. "The only oath these people have taken is to live and die at my word. And that was two hundred years before you were born."

Kirk felt his blood freeze in his veins and empty from his face. He knew that voice. Even after four years, he knew it as well as anyone in his crew. He couldn't accept he was hearing it now even as the man turned to face them all.

The light of the room illuminated him perfectly. The shirt was open several buttons to reveal a chest more muscular than someone his age should have. The hair was longer and streaked with premature gray. The face was weathered, as if exposed to harsh elements for some time. But those eyes were still the same. Eyes that were brilliant but also dark, a mix of pure power, of near regal majesty…and of the brilliance that only came with madness.

A smile came to the man as he brought his hands around, showing his right hand clad in a glove that went to his elbow. "Ah, Kirk, my old friend," he intoned, the voice still ringing with confidence and authority. "Is it not interesting how many cultures have the same proverb of revenge being a dish that is best served cold?" The smile tightened as the eyes narrowed at the Captain. "It is very cold in space, Kirk."

Staring at a man he thought…had prayed…he'd never see again, Kirk licked his dry lips as his voice finally came back to rasp out a single shocked word.

"_Khan."_

_***_

* * *

I've been waiting to do that for quite a while now. Needless to say, things are going to get rather interesting from here on in as explanations to how this happened are coming.


	8. Teaser

**I know people want the continuation of the story soon and am trying. Just a bit tricky making it all work right on paper as well as balancing several other fics. But to tide folks over and whet the appetite more, here's a little teaser for you…**

* * *

_A figure slowly undoes a glove from one hand before reaching up to remove the mask over his face. _

"**Once, he was the most powerful man the world had ever known…"**

"On Earth…two hundred years ago…I was a king. Until those inferior to me overthrew my rule and chose chaos."

"**Exiled to a world that would become his prison…"**

_Khan paces before Kirk and Adama carefully as he speaks. _

"Our world was thrown into ruin…The orbit so destabilized that one year to you became two to us. Our Eden transformed into Hell."

"**His great strength…"**

_Khan lifts a gasping Mudd up off his feet with one hand. _

"**His great intellect…"**

_Khan pores over Colonial books in a lavish study._

"**Has turned to great insanity."**

_Khan hisses at an underling on the bridge of the _Pegasus.

"Full ramming speed!"

"**After a decade, he has returned…"**

"If I have to chase him round the moons of Nebula and round the Antares Maelstrom and round each one of your Colonies and round the flames of Perdition itself, I shall never give him up!"

"**To seek vengeance upon the man he holds responsible."**

"I was always your superior, Kirk. Now, I shall prove it."

"Khan…if it's me, you want…You can do what you want with me."

_A shirtless Kirk is bound to a risen table as Khan cracks a whip behind him. _

"**Now, Federation…"**

_The _Enterprise _is struck by a nuclear warhead that detonates on its shield, the bridge and engineering rooms exploding in sparks. _

"**Colonial…"**

_Vipers stream out of the _Pegasus _to fly toward the _Galactica.

"**Cylon…"**

_The various Cylon models are rocked away from their table by an explosion._

_Khan is shown pointing at a Basestar on a view screen. _

"I deny you…_I deny you_!"

"**All will tremble before…"**

_Adama leads a pack of Colonial officers through the halls of the _Pegasus,_ cocking his rifle as Kendra Shaw follows him. _

"**The Wrath"**

_Khan sends his whip hurtling out with a maniacal look on his face._

"**Of"**

_Starbuck flies her Viper over the bridge of the _Pegasus _in wide arc while avoiding laser fire. _

"_**KHAN"**_

_Khan slams Billy back with a mighty fist._

_Roslin screams into her phone. _

_Baltar and Six have matching looks of utter horror at something. _

_Tigh holds a hand to a bleeding eye as he barks out orders on the bridge. _

_Adama and Lee embrace in the middle of a hallway._

_Spock is shown heading into an elevator with a somber expression._

_McCoy and Cottle furiously work on wounded patients in a crowded infirmary. _

_The two Battlestars are shown at close quarters firing away at each other as the _Enterprise_ flies toward a Basestar, fighters of all kinds zipping about in a massive dogfight. _

_A gray-haired man in a grey suit stands, stroking a black cat in his hands as he faces Kirk. _

"What you decide here, Captain…Will decide the fate of Earth for centuries to come."

_Kirk slowly takes that in._

_Adama and Lee break into a room._

_Cain is shown with tears in her eyes as she clutches a pistol in her hands._

_Roslin slumps into a chair holding her head. _

_Starbuck lets out a yell as her Viper careens out of control._

_A figure is shown blasting out an airlock into open space._

_Khan has a savage smile of victorious joy on his face as he leans forward. _

"To the end, Kirk. To our final end together."

"Frak you."

_A cataclysmic explosion erupts throughout space._

"_Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!"_

"**The Journey's Trek"**


	9. Chapter 8

**The Journey's Trek**

**By Michael Weyer**

* * *

_184 Days after the Fall of the Colonies_

Razors.

That's what Helena Cain had made her crew. Razors sharpened and ready for battle. Men and women who had the humanity pounded out of them, who were prepared to fight and die whatever the cause or cost. Some would argue the irony of how Cain wanted her people to be just as machine-like as Cylons but she didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore but dishing out as much damage and terror to them as they'd handed out to the Colonials.

Such a task took its toll and Cain had been feeling that over the last several weeks. She was born and bred military, used to the rules of war and conduct. Waging a guerilla campaign wasn't what she was used to but she was determined to carry it on as long as she could. Her crew was behind her, dedicated to dishing out the same pain the Cylons had bestowed upon them. They had all accepted death as part of their regular lives, accepted there was no going back. They were willing to follow their commander wherever she told them, even to Hell itself.

Helena Cain was about to find out what true hell was. And how when one sharpens a razor too much, it can make it a brittle and easily broken blade.

* * *

"Sir," Kendra Shaw called out from her place in the _Pegasus'_ CIC. "We may have something."

Cain made her way toward the young officer. After enduring pretty much the worst first day in the history of the Colonies, Shaw had proven herself a capable soldier. She was quick on the ball, having discovered the Cylon virus in their systems and was quick to follow orders. Her features were harsh as usual, almost never smiling, her black hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"What do you have, Shaw?" Cain asked, always the model of a professional commander, no matter the hour.

Shaw nodded toward her screen. "We've been picking up a signal for a while. It seemed to be too small to be anything but as we've gotten closer to the planet, it seems to be picking up strength."

"Colonial?" Cain asked as she came to the console to study the screen.

Shaw shook her head. "No, sir. But it also doesn't match what we know of Cylons. For that matter, it doesn't seem like any sort of signal we've seen before."

"What do the scans show?"

"We just got the report back from the Raptor," Shaw told her, looking at a sheet of data in her hand. "Harsh conditions, severe cloud and dust storms, no signs of habitats. However, it's hard to tell for sure because of all the wind and dust."

"The signal might be something," Cain muttered.

"If it is, it's probably Cylon," Shaw told her. "We had to make our last jump in a hurry, Admiral. We don't really know where we are, we could be beyond Colonial space severely and no telling how far the Cylons placed their territory."

"But a signal means some sort of base," Cain mused. "And that could mean supplies, which we need."

Shaw frowned. "Ma'am, are you sure? As I said, it's hard to figure out what this is, it could be a trap."

"We don't have much of a choice," Cain responded. "After the losses in that last raid, we need all the extra supplies we can get." She glanced at the woman who was entering the CiC, smiling at the sight of the dark blonde in a jumpsuit that did little to hide her shapely body. "Gina. What's the damage report?"

Gina Inviere sighed as she came up to her lover. "We've done what we can but that Leobeon did a number on the FTL. I've got crews working around the clock so we should be set in a day or two."

"Tell them to hurry it up," Cain said, her smile fading as she shook her head. "The Cylons looking like us. It explains a lot."

Shaw glanced about before leaning forward. "Sir," she said in a soft voice. "I hate to say this but we can't discount the possibility of other Cylon agents on board."

"She has a point," Gina said. "On the other hand, if we just start accusing people of being Cylons without evidence, it'll have the crew at each other's throats in no time. That's probably half the reason for this, to spread suspicion."

Cain nodded at that. "I agree. Keep it quiet, for now, Leobeon was just someone who snapped." She paused, tapping her fingers on the console, her brow furrowed in thought. "Assemble a team to go down there. I'll meet them in the hanger bay."

Shaw blinked. "Sir?"

"I'm going with," Cain stated.

Shaw shook her head. "Admiral, you can't. The risk is too great, we can't have you in a potential firefight."

"We're in a fight all the time," Cain responded. "A good commander doesn't ask her people to do something she's not willing to do herself."

"A good commander is smart enough to know when to keep herself safe," Shaw argued. She moved forward, lowering her voice. "Admiral, you are the glue holding this ship together. If anything happens…"

"If you don't hear from us within an hour, jump out," Cain stated in a flat voice. Shaw opened her mouth but Cain cut her off. "That is an order, Major."

Shaw snapped her jaw shut as Cain turned to head off the command deck. She shook her head, knowing there was nothing she could do but pushed by the thought that this was going to be bad.

Cain could hear Gina following her. "Not a word."

"Admiral…"

"What part of that was unclear, Specialist?"

She felt a soft hand on her shoulder and stopped with a sigh. She turned to see Gina staring at her with a warm gaze. "Helena," she said in a softer voice. "You don't have to take a risk like this."

"We're all risk from those toasters," Cain said. "Doing this will help morale."

"You still…"

"I made my choice, Gina," Cain said in a hard voice. She softened it as she leaned in. "I know you care and I love you for that. But don't countermand me. I'd hate to discipline you."

"Really?" Gina smiled. "I thought you'd rather like that." She couldn't help giggling at how Cain rolled her eyes, happy to see her lover more relaxed. Cain gave her a quick hug before moving down the hallway. Gina watched her go, her eyes hiding the slight pain in her heart at how once more she felt guilt at what she was doing.

* * *

It had been a while since Cain had ridden in a Raptor as part of a search team. She had forgotten how bulky and restricting the protective suits and helmets were but was willing to put up with them. She settled into her seat at the rear of the craft, instinctively gripping a strap nearby as the Raptor shook entering the planet's atmosphere. She saw one of the troops nearby looking a bit queasy and gave him a hard gaze. "Don't be sick, those helmets are hell to clean out." The young man blanched but nodded in understanding.

Cain looked up toward the pilots. "What's our status?" she called out, her voice coming out in a burst of static from the helmet's mouthpiece.

The pilot was too busy keeping the Raptor on an even keel so his companion answered. "Winds are heavier than we expected, Admiral. The radar is barely able to crack the dust cover." He adjusted one of his sensors. "We are still tracking that signal, it's getting stronger."

"Don't go in too fast," Cain cautioned. "If there's a spot to land safely enough, take it but don't risk the ship."

"Yes, sir," the pilot answered as he adjust the Raptor to a gust of wind. The passengers shifted but knew better than to complain with Cain in the hold with them. The clouds parted a bit as the shuttle lowered itself down and the thick dunes of sand that seemed to roll up toward them. "Frak!" the pilot called out as he yanked back on the controls just in time to avoid smashing onto the top of a dune. He banked the Raptor, throwing the passengers to the side before he could straighten it out.

"How far to the signal?" Cain called out.

The pilot adjusted his scanner. "About ten klicks, sir. But in these conditions…"

"Bring us as close as you can," Cain barked. "We need to find out for sure what is down here."

The two pilots exchanged looks but held their tongues as they did their best to fly the Raptor through the thick dust. The lead one listened as the beeping sound of the signal grew louder. He glanced out the window, peering closely. "There's something there, sir! Some sort of structure."

"Put us down next to it," Cain commanded. The pilot pulled back on the throttles as the shuttle hovered next to the metal protruding from the desert floor. The Raptor buckled under the winds as it slowly lowered, finally coming to a rest on the desert floor. As soon as it was settled, Cain undid her straps and rose to her feet. Two marines moved to join her, their rifles out as best as they could handle in their bulky suits. A man and a woman joined her, each holding out small scanners. The co-pilot pushed a button and the ship's hatch opened up. The howling of the wind filled the interior of the hatch as dust flew in from outside.

Cain glanced over at the pilots. "If we're not back in twenty minutes, take off." Without waiting to hear from them, she exited the Raptor, the others following her.

The co-pilot glanced at his companion. "We really going to leave her here?"

"Hell, no. She wants to slap us in the brig for keeping her around, she can."

"Amen."

* * *

Cain did her best to keep herself steady as the winds of dust buffeted her. It pelted her visor hard even as she stood in the shelter of the structure. It jutted out, a pile of steel that appeared connected somehow with some rocks. It looked as if someone was using it as an entranceway, windows set in the steel hull. Cain tried looking in but the dust cover on the outside was too thick to brush off.

"Admiral!" one of the technicians called out. She moved to where he was pushing on a corner of the steel. "I think there's a doorway here!"

Cain gave a nod and one of the Marines stepped forward, pushing the door open slowly. He entered, his rifle raised before him and stepped inside. There was a pause before he gave an "all-clear" wave. The group made their way into the shelter, the wind cutting off behind them.

Cain glanced about as she saw what looked to be a room of some sort. She realized it was part of a shuttle that had been redone into a large chamber. Books lined one wall with various mechanical items strewn about. At a large table at the rear was a glass display case filled with sand. One of the technicians was holding up his sensor, checking the readings. "The air's breathable," he announced, undoing his helmet. The rest of the group followed suit, Cain taking a deep breath of air, glad to be free of the helmet. She began to study the room carefully as the others looked around. Cain made her way to the shelf to study the books. She frowned as she saw they had corners to them, a style she had never seen before. She couldn't make out the writing, it was gibberish to her. One thing caught her eye and she stepped forward.

It was a bust, carved out of dark rock. It showed a remarkable likeness of a beautiful human woman, her cheeks full and her nose small but set nicely in her face. The sculptor had gone so far as to recreate a long mane of hair pulled in a ponytail, set off one shoulder. It had obviously taken time to create this and done by someone who enjoyed the subject immensely.

One of the technicians, Radak, was looking at the glass case, poking it with his finger. There was a shuffle of sand as something scurried inside it. "Someone's keeping pets," he said.

"Don't touch anything," Cain snapped as she tore her eyes away from the carved bust. She looked around. "Whatever this is, it's not Colonial. And Cylons would be keeping it a lot more pristine."

"Plus, the toasters wouldn't need oxygen," the other surveyor, a red-headed woman named Cannars said. "At first glance, sir, it doesn't look like there's anything worth bringing back."

"What about the source of those signals?" Cain asked.

Radak adjusted his scanner, the beeping growing as he moved to the rear of the room. "I think this is it." He nodded to a table where a bevy of electronics were strewn about. They looked to have been in bad shape, held together by the filmiest needs. The center piece was a bulky device with a flashing light. "Looks like some sort of communication system," Radak stated, moving closer to it.

"Recognize it?" Cain asked. Radak was one of the best communication specialists in the fleet, which was why Cain had demanded him transferred to her ship.

The man shook his head. "No, sir. Course, the way it is, it could be almost anything." He ran a finger across it, his finger hitting a button. A humming went out and he pulled back. Cain felt a shiver like a mild electric shock go through her but nothing else. She shook her head and something caught her eye. She turned toward the shelf lined with books and to her shock, realized she could read the titles.

_The King James Bible. The Collected Tragedies of William Shakespeare. The Art of War. The Teachings of Nietzsche. _

"What the frak?" Cannars whispered, also staring at the books. Cain ignored her, her eyes pulled up to a banner above the shelf, like a declaration of a home.

_S.S. Botany Bay._

Something hit Cain as she read that. That sixth sense that she had developed over her career, the one that warned her something was very, very wrong. She moved back to face the others. "Back to the Raptor," she declared. "We're clearing out of here."

One of the Marines turned to the door but stopped as he looked out one of the windows. "Sir." Cain moved with him, staring out the window. Between them and the Raptor were a dozen figures, all in dark cloaks and masks designed to block out as much of the dust storm as possible. Behind the main group, Cain could see the two Raptor pilots pushed on their knees and held down.

"Frak," she whispered, wishing she could have fit a sidearm into this suit. She backed up as the two Marines stepped forward, their rifles raised and aimed at the doorway. The two technicians moved next to Cain, ready to fight by their commander's side.

Too late, Cain felt the tingle at her back and turned around just as a figure raced toward her. His fist slammed into the side of her head, making her see stars as she staggered back. Faster than she could process, a half-dozen others were coming out, knocking her away and attacking her companions. The Marines never had a chance to fire their guns, brought down to the ground quickly. Cain tried to press up but her attacker kept her held down. She looked up to see a woman who appeared to be attractive but younger than her and yet the strength was greater than anyone Cain had met before.

The howl of the wind heralded the opening of the doorway as the group from outside came in. They shoved the two pilots to join the others and moved back. Two held the rifles taken from the marines but the rest simply stared with cool eyes as if waiting for something.

That something stepped forward from the group. It was a tall figure, taller than any of the others. He raised his left hand up to slowly pull off the glove but left the one on his right hand on. The bare hand reached up to slide off the scarf covering the lower half of his face, revealing a hard jaw set in a somber expression. The hands then lifted up to slide the helmet off his head.

He appeared to be in his fifties but Cain imagined much of that was living in such harsh conditions. His hair was dark and laced with grey, flowing away down his shoulders. His face was hard and lined but retained a power that struck Cain. It was almost…regal in a way, how he carried himself, his eyes bright and intelligent as they looked over her with the cold dismissal of a man studying an inferior life form.

Cain licked her lips as she brought herself up. "Admiral Helena Cain of the Colonial Battlestar _Pegasus."_

The man cocked his head as he took that in. "Battlestar," he said in a low voice. "An interesting title."

"Who are you?" Cain asked.

The man tossed the mask to one of the others while he faced her. "You may call me Khan." The name was announced like a title of royalty.

Cain set her jaw. "Khan or whoever you are…who are you really? Why are you here? I demand to know…."

"Madam, you are in a position to demand nothing," Khan cut her off. He then shrugged. "I, on the other hand, am in a position to grant you nothing." His gloved hand waved to the people around him. "You see before you all that remains of the passengers and crew of the _S.S. Botany Bay. _Marooned here nearly a decade ago, in our reckoning, by Captain James. T. Kirk."

Each word of the name was spat out with a venom that made talk of Cylons sound genial. Whoever this Kirk was, Khan evidently loathed him with a passion. Cain brushed that aside as she began to speak again. "Whoever you are, what reason you're here…I frankly don't care. We came because of the signal you were sending out."

Khan raised an eyebrow. "The signal?" He glanced at the electronics and nodded. "Yes…I had long given up hope for that attracting any attention. Ever since Captain Kirk left us here, we have been all alone."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Radak blurted out.

Khan whirled on him, his eyes flaring with anger. "Hell?" he hissed. "You talk of Hell, boy?" Radak took a step back as Khan moved toward him with a fierce expression. "I believed, as Milton, it was better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven. But then we were marooned here by James T. Kirk. He left us upon an Eden, not even bothering to check the status of our moon, Ceti Alpha Six. When it exploded, our paradise was destroyed, shifted to a new orbit, lengthening our time." He began to pace, his voice rising in anger but remaining low in volume, a chilling combination. He paused, his back to the Colonial officers as he spoke.

"On Earth…Two hundred years ago…I was a king. With rule over millions. Until those inferior to me overthrew my rule and chose chaos." He didn't notice the looks of shock on the faces of Cain and the others at the mention of Earth. "Kirk knew this. He knew I would rise to power wherever I went. And so he attempted to jail me here, to keep me from my proper place once more. Like Prometheus, struck down to feast upon my own entrails." He walked over to the bust and let his hands stroke the face. "Because of him, I met the only woman to touch my heart….to claim me as an equal…" His voice was filled with pain and longing but before Cain could feel sympathy, it hardened in an instant. "And because of him, I lost her. A plague on him….A plague on them all."

"Did he say Earth?" Cannars whispered. That seemed to catch Khan's attention as he turned to face them, his own eyes widening.

"You…You say you are an Admiral? So you have a ship?" A smile came to his face, one without mirth. "The fates, it would appear, still smile their providence upon me."

Cain had no idea who this man was or what he was babbling about. But she clearly could see that this man was either complete mad or quite close to the brink. Either way, this was not a situation she wanted her or her people involved in as she set her jaw. "We are a warship, not a pleasure craft," she spat out. "We don't have time for refugees, especially not people I have no idea about babbling about Earth. Besides, our shuttle doesn't have enough room for all of you."

Khan looked at her before stepping forward, his eyes on hers. Cain did her best to stand up to him, but felt a tiny bit of her wanting to wilt at the power of those fierce eyes. With a speed that belied his age, Khan's gloved hand shot out to grab one of the Marines by the throat. With a heft, he held the man up high, his boots dangling inches off the floor. The Marine gasped, grabbing at the steely arm to no effect. Khan's eyes never left Cain's as he gave his hand a tight twist and squeeze, producing a loud cracking sound.

He opened his glove to let the body of the Marine slump to the ground, his neck at an odd angle. "That is one seat open now," Khan said in a flat tone. "Shall I create more?"

Cain just glared right back at him. "My people are willing to die in battle," she hissed. "We don't back down from Cylons, we won't for you."

Khan returned her gaze and his lips tugged upward. "Well," he said in an almost amused voice. "It appears what world you come from has more spine than the Earth I remember." His eyes actually held respect for Cain before he turned away. "No matter. You will do as I ask."

He moved toward the glass case, reaching to grab a hook-like device. "Let me introduce you to Ceti Alpha V's only remaining indigenous life form." He pushed the hook into the case, running it through the sand. It latched onto something and with a tug, Khan brought out a small eel-like creature that wiggled furiously in his grasp. "Ceti eels," he intoned. "They killed twenty of my people…including my beloved wife." Pain briefly flashed in his eyes before he went on. "Not all at once. They wrap themselves around the cerebral cortex via the ears and feast upon the chemicals there. This has the side effect of making the victim become open to suggestion."

At his nod, his people picked up the helmets worn by the landing party. With a dark smile, Khan dropped an eel into each. He personally picked up the one of Cain's as he came forward. Cain tried to pull back but the rest of Khan's people surrounded them, holding them down with their strength. "You frakking…." Cain hissed. "You can't do this!"

"This will be interesting," Khan said as he began to slide the helmet onto her head. "I have seen the growth of the eels upon our world but I have wondered how they might change in space. Faster? Slower? It is intriguing." He slid the helmet onto Cain, locking it down as it happened to the others. Cain grit her teeth to try and fight off but the grip of the men and women was far too strong. She could feel the eel slowly sliding up her neck and touching her earlobe. She told herself she wouldn't scream, not to this, she wouldn't give this bastard the satisfaction. She had endured pain ever since she was a child, the pain of seeing her family wiped out seconds before a peace would break out. She wasn't going to give in to this, not even as she felt the eel slide into her ear canal.

And then the sharp pain slid through the rear of her mind and she screamed for all she was worth.

* * *

As the shuttle landed, Kendra Shaw stood at attention with a squad of guards. She did her best to hide her confusion as the doors opened to let Cain step out with a strange man behind her. He blinked at the lights of the bay, as if unused to such illumination. "Major," Cain said in a crisp tone. "Start sending Raptors down to the surface. We have another fifty refugees to bring back."

"Where did they come from, sir?" Shaw asked, her eyes on the long-haired man who stood closer to Cain than she liked.

"A ship that crashed on the moon some time back," Cain answered as she rubbed at her ear. "See to it at once, Major, I need to change." Her eyes fell on Khan, who gave her the tiniest of nods. "And…tell Commander Fisk I want to see him at once. It's…quite important."

She marched on with Shaw watching, failing to see the smile on Khan's face.

* * *

Even after a week, the feeling of soft sheets upon his skin was a pleasure to Khan. It had been so long since he had enjoyed a good sleep on anything but hard stone. He was allowing himself some rest, having been relatively busy throughout the day. Inserting the eels into key members of _Pegasus_ had been easier than expected. Fisk was first, being the second in command, but he'd needed to take care of a few other people, such as that Gina and the heads of security and engineering. With them under his control, it was simple to place his own people into key positions around the ship. There was grousing but Cain's word was law on this ship so there was little argument. Unless, of course, Khan was the one arguing.

That had been the case when they received the signals from a small group of Colonial ships. Cain's first instinct had been to send her people over to strip as much in the way of supplies or people with skills and leave the rest behind. She'd been about to order troops when Khan stepped up. He had preferred not being so open but was forced to take charge to make it clear that they would be taking all the refugees under their protection. Thus, Cain's command grew from a single Battlestar into a small fleet. Cain hadn't liked it but was helpless to disobey as Khan now had a growing base of power.

That gave Khan the chance to relax and to think. He closed his eyes within the comfortable bed he had arranged from Gina. His thoughts, as always, turned to two faces. The first, that beautiful angel that fate had been kind enough to give him, then cruel to steal away. And second, that face that always filled his mind, day and night. The face of the man responsible for his fate. The man he would soon have at his mercy…

That sixth sense that had served him so well cut through his thoughts. He'd often wondered if it had been part of the skills engineered into his DNA but at the moment that didn't matter. With a burst of speed, he rolled out of the bed, his hand shooting up to grasp the arm just before it could plunge the knife into him. Khan felt the strength of the arm using it but he had the leverage to drive the knife back. His other hand snaked out to wrap itself around a throat as he slammed his attacker against the nearest wall.

Gina struggled in his grip but Khan slammed her head back against the steel wall, causing her to see stars. He threw her onto the bed and straddled her, the knife now held to her throat. She froze, heaving with breath as she stared at him with hate in her eyes.

Khan took in her gaze and a smile came to his face. "I know what you are."

Gina froze. "What?"

"Resisting the eel I could almost credit a strong system or fluke chemistry," Khan said, his voice polite even as he held the blade closer to her jugular. "But the strength you showed…far greater than a woman should have outside of my people." His smile became as hard as his eyes. "You are a Cylon."

The flash of fear in her eyes was all the confirmation he needed. Khan slowly rose up but kept the knife in his hands. Gina stayed where she was, staring, unsure of what he was doing. Khan leaned against the wall, clad only in a pair of pants, his chest still strong for a man his age. His smile remained as he examined Gina, who wore her usual jumpsuit. "How better to get close than to seduce an Admiral? To make her believe you care."

"I do care," Gina blurted. "You think I want her to stay under your thumb? I've seen the headaches, the pain she goes through every day. She was already on edge but after what you've done, what you're making her do…" She shook her head. "You're a monster."

"Monster?" The smile faded as Khan pointed the knife at her. "Your kind exterminated fifty billion souls, Cylon. But then, you are machines, I can understand that. Your precious Helena, though…" He smirked. "She killed her own first officer in cold blood when he refused to follow her command for a suicide strike. Not to mention how she would have gladly let those civilians die simply because she did not want to nurse-maid them." He leaned in, his voice dropping lower. "I know hate, my dear. Hate is what has kept me alive all this time. And your beloved Admiral Cain hates your kind to her very heart. If she should find you are one…" He shook his head. "You know what she'll do."

"She won't-"

"She will and you know it," Khan snapped at her. "It's why you haven't told her already, because you know of her obsession. All that mattered to her before I came was to punish the Cylons and damn whoever got in her way." He backed up. "So, if you wish to avoid being thrown into space or beaten on a daily basis….you would do well to obey my wishes as much as Admiral Cain does."

Gina swallowed but knew he was right. Even if she got lucky and did manage to kill him, the question of how she resisted the eel would lead to suspicions to her true nature. "So what now?" she asked, sounding more defeated than she felt.

"Now," Khan said as he placed the knife on the table next to him. "We shall continue on our quest. I still have a memory of the Federation, enough to continue our search. Sooner or later, it is inevitable we shall run into…him."

"Why?"

Khan turned to her as Gina sat up. "Why bother? You've escaped. You have a ship, several ships. You have control of an entire crew of soldiers, plus your own people. You can go wherever you want, build your own rule. Why bother with this Kirk?"

Khan's eyes widened as he pointed at her. "Because he tasks me. He _tasks_ me and I shall have him!" He looked into space, his eyes gleaming as his voice rose. "If I have to chase him round the moons of Niba and round the Antares Maelstrom and round each of those Worlds of Kobol and round to the flames of Perdition itself, I shall _never _give him up_!"_

As she stared at the man, Gina felt a chill upon her back. She realized how she was truly caught between a rock and a hard place. Or in this case, between two people so obsessed with their hates that if anyone in this small fleet got out alive, it would be nothing short of a miracle.

* * *

**Thanks for being patient as this took longer than expected to get out. A few questions I'm sure but next chapter should answer them. Thanks for keeping up.**


	10. Chapter 9

**The Journey's Trek**

**By Michael Weyer**

**

* * *

**

Deanna had to admit this was not what she expected.

She had believed that she would awaken in chains in some dark cell or whatever they had on this ship. Instead, she awakened in what appeared to be a bright room, with a comfortable cot on the side. She glanced around, seeing the door wide open and instinctively moved toward it. Just as she touched its threshold, she gasped as she struck something, a sharp electric shock flowing over her body. She bounced back, staring as she saw the light shimmering in the air. She carefully reached forward to touch it, wincing at the sparks it gave out. "Force field?" she muttered to herself. "You have to be kidding me."

"I assure you, it is most real," a deep voice echoed. Deanna looked up to see Spock standing on the other side of the field, a pair of red-shirted guards behind him. The Vulcan calmly sat in a chair with a small table at an armrest upon which sat what looked to be some sort of recording device. "There is no escape until we allow it," Spock continued. "Thus, your most logical course of action will be to cooperate."

Deanna sniffed. "And if I don't? When do you start the torture? The drowning in water? Or maybe you still go for hot pokers?"

"Torture was expressly prohibited under section eight, paragraph four of the Federation doctrine," Spock smoothly answered. "We do not believe in the use of such base methods."

Deanna snorted now. "Please, you're going to try kindness? Humans don't know the meaning of the word."

Spock fixed her with a cool gaze. "I am not human."

Biers blinked before going on. "Why should I cooperate with you?"

An eyebrow arched upward. "I see no other options open to you at present."

Deanna frowned as she took that in, her mind whirling. Knowing more about this Federation could be a benefit. If she could somehow trick them into killing her, she could download with all that information set, a huge boost to the Cylons. She put on a defeated look as she sat on the cot in her cell. "All right. What do you want to know?"

Spock picked up a small pad, letting his fingers touch over it. "How long have you been among the Colonials?"

"You didn't read my official bio?" Biers smirked.

Spock merely stared back at her with that impassive face. "I am not interested in your cover identity. I am attempting to surmise the truth of your involvement in the colonies as a spy. As well as your involvement in the unwarranted attack on the Colonies of Kobol."

Biers narrowed her eyes. "Unwarranted? After what they did to us?"

"We were under the impression that it was the Cylons who first rebelled against the humans," Spock noted.

"After they used us as slave labor," Deanna snapped. "After refusing to acknowledge us as their equals, let alone their betters!" The alien simply stared at her with that damnable calm face. "You wouldn't understand."

Spock paused before speaking. "We have discovered another Cylon." That got Biers' attention. "A blonde-haired woman." He saw the slight relaxation Biers made as if with relief and mentally made a note that she was hiding the existence of another Cylon in the fleet. "She is being held by the Colonials, under our guard. I believed you would be better to talk to than her."

Biers crossed her arms. "Because you treat me with kindness, I should believe you're different than the Colonials?"

"Why would you choose to strike as you did?" Spock asked.

"It wasn't quite our full plan," Biers confessed. "We had intended to wipe them all out at once. We certainly didn't count on a fleet of survivors."

"What motives drive you? Why have you chosen to take this path?"

"Because it's what God wants."

Spock looked up at her impassively. "Which God are you referring to?"

Biers frowned. "The one true God. Unless you don't believe in him."

"At last count, there were approximately 10,973 separate deities worshipped by various galactic civilizations," Spock stated. "However, I believe we should not be straying into a theological debate."

"There's no debate!" Biers snapped. "We were chosen! Chosen to replace those weak humans with their murderous flaws that always end up hurting each other!"

Spock merely nodded. "I am disappointed to hear that an artificial life form can still succumb to emotions that overwhelm reason."

"You simply do not understand our mission."

"I confess that it is difficult for me to fully comprehend how easily human passions and emotions can overwhelm their reason."

Deanna glared at him. "We're not human."

Spock arched his eyebrow. "You committed mass genocide in the name of a 'God' you have never seen and have no proof of his existence, let alone what his or her wishes are. In Earth's history, that is a most human trait."

Deanna opened her mouth, then closed it, her mind reeling under his words. Spock simply went on with his questioning. "We are aware of this method you have of 'downloading' your mind into a new body when you are killed. Can you communicate with them in real time as well?"

Biers regained some composure. "If I could, we wouldn't be standing here now, you'd be dead and I'd be in a new body."

"I highly doubt that," Spock stated. "We destroyed one of your ships in less than a minute and it failed to do any damage to our vessel." Once again, Biers was left dumbfounded and Spock suppressed a sigh. He had hoped that talking to someone not human would be an enthralling conversation but yet again, he was left alone when it came to any intelligent discussion with anyone.

* * *

"Khan," Kirk whispered, staring in shock.

"You still…remember me, Captain. After all this time," Khan said as he stepped forward. He smiled and brought his hands up to his heart mockingly with an exaggerated joy. "I cannot help but be touched." His smile hardned. "I, of course, remember you, quite well."

Kirk swallowed as he tried to compose himself. "How did you get here, Khan? What is the meaning of this?"

Khan seemed surprised. "Surely, my meaning would be plain by now." He pointed at Kirk. "I mean to avenge myself upon you, Kirk. To repay you for what you stole from me."

Adama was looking from one man to the other in confusion. "Captain, who is this man?"

Kirk set his jaw. "Back in the late 20th century on Earth, a group of scientists used genetic engineering to create people who were meant to be superior to normal humans. Enhanced strength, reflexes and intellect. But things got out of control as the subjects believed they were now destined to rule." He nodded to the man before them. "Khan was the most infamous of those experiments. He helped create the Eugenics Wars which ravaged the planet. At one point, he ruled three-quarters of Earth before he was finally overthrown. He and his followers were sent in exile on a ship, left in cryogenic hibernation that froze them in time.

"Four years ago, the _Enterprise_ found their ship, reviving Khan before we discovered his true identity."

"Freed us into this new century," Khan intoned, his arms now crossed. "A time where humanity had traveled to the stars…yet grown even more weak."

"And that gives you the right to rule?" Kirk snapped.

"The strong deserve it, Kirk. History and evolution alike tell us that." Khan sniffed. "You tried to keep me from my destiny."

"I saved you and your people from being adrift for another century, Khan," Kirk retorted. "You repaid my hospitality by trying to kill me and steal my ship! Even after that, I was more kind than I should have been. I could easily have sent you all to a Federation rehabilitation center but instead I placed you on Ceti Alpha V, a new world that you could inhabit and rule, forge your own life-"

"Ah, yes," Khan interrupted with obviously false cheer. "And tell me, Kirk, in your generous decision-making, did it ever occur to you to check the tectonic stability of our neighboring planets?"

Kirk frowned. "What?"

Khan stepped forward, his face tight with anger. "Ceti Alpha Six…our lovely moon…exploded six months after you marooned us, Kirk. The blast sent debris flying all over our world. It shifted the entire orbit, making one year for you two for us, rendering our paradise a living hell." He pointed the gloved hand at his head. "Only my genetically engineered intellect allowed most of us to survive." Pain flashed in his expression. "But many died…including Lt. Robin Givers…my wife."

Kirk stared, his face frozen in shock at those words. "I…I didn't know, Khan…I never…"

"You never bothered to check on our progress," Khan snapped. "Never bothered to send anyone else, never cared. You simply put us out of your mind and left us to fend to ourselves." He stepped forward, his face scowling. "You knew I would rule wherever I went. I would find a way to carve a path in this new time and place. And so you ensured I would never harm anyone again."

Kirk swallowed. "I…I didn't know, Khan."

"You did not want to," Khan spat at him. "Your apologies mean nothing to me now, Kirk. All I desire is revenge." He glared at Kirk. "I could have begun my attack as soon as I came within sight of your ship. I could have blasted you out of the sky on your way over." He leaned in. "But I wanted you to see me first, Kirk. I wanted you to know who it was who had beaten you. Khan Noonien Singh. The eagle you tried to cage."

Kirk licked his lips as he carefully stepped forward, spreading his arms. "Khan…it's me you want...Fine, here I am, you can do whatever you want with me." He motioned around him. "These people…they're not a part of this. They've done nothing to you. Let them go."

The mocking smile returned to Khan's lips. "Ever the matyr, Kirk. Ever putting yourself above others." He paused, as if considering his words. "Take him to the training facility," he declared. A pair of guards grabbed Kirk by the arms. Khan looked to where Adama and Billy were being held at gunpoint. "Take them to the cells. I shall attend to them later." He looked at Kirk with a dark smile. "For now….I have some old ties to reform."

* * *

Adama grunted as he was unceremoniously shoved into the cell. Billy gasped as he was knocked to the floor, wincing as he stood up. Adama looked around, recognizing it as the standard brig for colonial ships. He saw he wasn't alone, a few other people in the cell, all looking at him with surprise as well as some suspicion. One stepped forward, an attractive woman in uniform pants, her jacket off to show white shirt and bare shoulders but managing a salute. "Colonel Kendra Shaw."

Adama returned the salute automatically. "Commander William Adama of the _Galactica._" There were murmurs of surprise from the other prisoners at the name. "So there is another Battlestar," Shaw murmured. "I didn't know if those rumors we'd been hearing were true or not."

Adama looked around. "Why are you all here?"

"Because we're still willing to believe in our oaths," Shaw stated. She took a deep breath. "I'm assuming you've already met Khan?" At Adama's nod, she went on. "It was shortly after his arrival that some of us began to realize he was the true controlling force behind the Admiral's decisions. I still don't know what method he's using to control her or the other officers but apparently, it only spreads so far." She waved her hands about. "It was a few weeks ago that he decided to round us up and lock us in here."

"Why not just kill you?" Billy asked.

Shaw shrugged. "Who knows? The man keeps claiming he has some honor in him. Personally, I suspect that seeing those loyal to her dying would be too much for Cain to take and he needs her to keep control of the other ships in the fleet." She sighed. "So far, we haven't found a feasible plan for escape. Even if we could get out of the cells, Khan's people are stronger and smarter than we are. Not to mention, there's not much to escape to."

Adama shook his head. "What does he want?"

"That I can't tell," Shaw sighed. "He keeps to himself, only comes out when Cain seems to be losing some control and makes sure it doesn't happen again. Right now, we don't know how we stand with the rest of this fleet." She paused as she studied Adama. "So the _Galactica_ survived?"

"Along with a small fleet of our own," Adama confirmed. "Plus…" He paused before deciding he might as well clear the air. "You've probably figured out by now that Khan isn't from the Colonies."

Shaw nodded. "Yes. It was hard at first but the way he talks, it's clear."

"That man with us, he's the captain of a ship from a federation of alien worlds." Adama saw the dubious reactions around him. "Yes, I know it sounds crazy but it's true. They have one of their ships here with firepower that was able to tear the Cylons apart when they attacked."

"So they can help us?" Shaw asked with hope.

Adama's face tightened. "If they know. This was supposed to be a long tour so we won't be noticed missing for a while yet. And something tells me that this Khan is going to be filling out the time in a unique way."

* * *

Kirk automatically tensed against the manacles on his wrists but the solid steel refused to give way. He was bound to a table propped up in the middle of what appeared to have once been a workout room, now converted into a weapons chamber. His shirt had been removed, the cool air on his bare skin but he refused to show any fear at all. He knew there was a way out of this. Khan's ego would blind him to some detail Kirk could use to escape. All he needed was to stay alive long enough to find it.

His eyes were fixed on Khan as the man calmly paced before him. His every step was deliberate, designed to intimidate. He let his gloved hand slide along a rack filled with various instruments. "You have no idea, Kirk," he said in an almost reverent tone. "You have no idea how long I have dreamed of this. Of having you at my mercy at last. I've conceived agonies that would make the Marquis de Sade wail." He lifted a long whip, letting it uncoil in his hands as he circled the gurney Kirk was bound to. "And now…finally…your day of judgment is at hand."

Kirk set his jaw as he turned his head back as much as he could. "Khan…I can't change what happened. But there's still time to end this before it gets out of control. All you have is one ship, a ship that's no match for a Federation vessel. It won't be long before my crew discovers I'm missing and they'll come down on you hard. If you surrender now, you can at least spare your people more pain."

Khan laughed loudly, throwing his head back. "Ah, Kirk. Still such pride and belief in your own strength." His dark smile returned as he let the whip uncoil, the tip falling to the floor. "Had things gone differently, what a pair we would have made." The smile vanished as he threw his hand out, the whip arcing to strike along Kirk's back. He bit his teeth together, determined not to cry out at the sharp pain.

Khan pulled the whip back. "That was for the first day after our world met its end," he hissed. He threw the whip out to strike Kirk once more and he couldn't help but let a grunt escape. "That was our second." Once more, the whip came, a long gash along Kirk's back. "Do not scream just yet, Kirk," Khan said in dark humor as he pulled his arm back. "We have 31,785 days to go."

He hurled the whip out again as Kirk prepared himself for the pain to come at the hands of a man filled with wrath.

* * *

**A bit more setup here to show the stakes for Kirk now. ****All comments welcomed.**


	11. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

**I want to apologize to all those following this story for the fact it's been nearly a full year since I last updated. I never intended for that. I was hit by a combo of writer's block and distracted by my various other fics. I have begun an update and wanted to thank everyone for being patient and hoping that when I do get this story going again, it'll be more than worth the wait. Again, thank you all very much for your patience and wanted to get this out to let you all be sure that I haven't abandoned this by any means. **

**I was also pausing to do a few readings for a bit more "research" on the tale. That includes Greg Cox's great trilogy of novels that tells of Khan's rise, his rule and his exile as well. Also, Scott Tipton's fantastic comic mini-series "Ruling in Hell" which also details Khan's exile and how he changed from the noble warrior of "Space Seed" to the madman of the second film. I am using those as templates but keep in mind that in this story, Khan's exile isn't as long and thus he won't be quite as obsessive for vengeance above all else. So don't expect a retelling of **_**Star Trek II**_** (and recently checking out the Blu-Ray of it helped inspire too) as I'll also naturally be working the Colonials into this too. **

**So again, thank you all for your patience and hope to have it rewarded soon. Thanks.**


	12. Chapter 10

**The Journey's Trek**

**By Michael Weyer**

** My apologies for the VERY long delay between updates, tied up in various matters, including a bit of a block on this. Thank you all for being patient and hopefully not as long between chapters.**

* * *

Kirk had been through pain before and agony as well. It came quite a bit with the territory, especially a Captain as experienced as he was. Yet, he couldn't help but moan as he was dragged to the cell, limp in the hands of the two guards. His back had been patched up but still bore the mark of multiple whippings, wounds that would have left hideous scars in another time. His shirt was loose over his body, dried blood visible over the wounds as he was unceremoniously thrown into the cell on the hard floor. He groaned as he rolled about, barely aware of the guards leaving.

He looked up at the arms touching him, seeing Adama's concerned face. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"I've…been better," Kirk gasped as he allowed Adama and another soldier to lie him on a nearby cot. He winced out as he felt the pain of his wounds. "Khan had some…issues to work out."

"You got lucky," a young woman beside Adama stated. "He's done far worse, believe me."

"Captain Kirk, Colonel Kendra Shaw," Adama introduced them.

"Pleasure," Kirk winced as he rubbed his aching shoulders.

Kendra studied him. "You really aren't from the Colonies?"

"No," Kirk confirmed. "And neither is Khan." He looked about the cell. "So everyone else in the crew is with him?"

"Willingly or not," Shaw stated. "Most don't even realize what's going on. Cain always ran a tight ship, Khan is just increasing that control." She shook her head. "I just wish I knew what he was after."

"Revenge on me for a start," Kirk stated. "As for the rest…I don't know if even Khan has thought that far out. Whatever he has planned…it can't be good for any of us."

* * *

Khan looked quite pleased as he entered the CiC. He had changed to a new uniform, partly to remove the blood left on his previous one, this more like his favorite outfit, open more at the chest. He moved to the communications table as his main aide, Joachim, looked to him. The younger man had the same chiseled looks as the rest of Khan's followers, clad in his own dark uniform. "We have been receiving requests from the Colonial craft," he intoned. "They wish to know of Captain Adama's current whereabouts."

"Let them eat static," Khan remarked as he moved to examine the map on the table.

"They still have not moved into any defensive situation."

"Of course." Khan's voice was full of mockery. "We are all one big, happy fleet." He examined the map closer. "But we cannot count on that lasting long. They'll realize what is happening soon enough. Which means we must take the offensive." He looked back to Joachim. "Prepare for launch of the fighters and open warhead compartments."

"Wait," Cain said, having been silent all this time. "If you want us to attack our own people…"

"I hardly feel you have the moral high ground in such an argument, Admiral," Khan cut her off. "And this was not a request." Despite herself, Cain had to bite her lip as that itching affected her mind once more, pushing her to accept whatever Khan wanted.

Khan paid her no heed as he looked to the nearby screens showing the radar outlines of the fleet. "For all your knowledge and experience and technology, Admiral, your culture lacks a very important ingredient. Sun Tzu. A man whose brilliance in combat has been revered for millennia." He smiled. "I believe it's time we spread such education about."

* * *

Sharon Valerri hadn't realized just how quiet her cell was until she got a roommate. The moment Gina was thrown in with her, she'd known who and what she was, of course. She shuffled in her seat and nodded at her. "Hello."

Gina winced, rubbing her head. "Eight."

"It's Sharon."

"Gina." She looked about, rubbing at the cuffs at her hands. "Never thought I'd be here with you."

Sharon frowned. "You know me?"

"You're kidding, right?" Gina stared at the uncomphrending look on Sharon's face. "Wow, you don't know. You're famous in our circles now. Falling in love with a human, becoming pregnant, turning on your own? The Threes weren't really pleased with it."

"That's their problem," Sharon shrugged.

"I'm not judging," Gina told her as she managed to sit onto another cot. "Believe me, I know exactly what you feel. I…" She looked down. "Human emotions are far more addictive than we anticipated."

"Tell me about it," Sharon sighed.

"Or you can tell me."

The two looked up at the face of Spock staring impassively at them from the other side of the bars. The Vulcan had his arms behind his back, a pair of red-shirted guards behind him as he talked. "I am Mr. Spock," he introduced himself. "I have already been in discussion with Dianna Biers but I believe you may be able to be more forthcoming on details regarding your way of life."

"I haven't been in contact with the base-ships in a year," Gina said. "I was sent in to do my job."

"Which, I may surmise, was to get close to Admiral Cain," Spock surmised.

Gina nodded. "Yes. It was just a job but…" She sighed. "Under that hard exterior is a woman in need and…somehow, we connected. That wasn't planned but it happened." Her eyes narrowed. "Then he came to take over and changed her. Changed it all."

"Whom are you speaking of?"

"Khan," Gina spat. "He used something to warp her mind and the crews and took the ship. He's in charge now and…"

Being Cylons, Gina and Sharon were unaware of Vulcans and their history. Thus, they didn't know that when a Vulcan showed an expression of shock bordering on horror, it was time to be very, very afraid.

Spock was on his feet, moving quickly toward the nearest communicator. "Mr. Scott, put us to Yellow Alert and raise shields. I shall be up to the bridge momentarily." He moved quickly to the door, letting it shut behind him.

Gina looked at Sharon with a frown. "Was it something I said?"

* * *

"The _Enterprise_ is moving out of position," Joachim announced.

"As expected," Khan stated, leaning back from the main screen. "Launch fighters and aim main guns at the _Galactica."_

The technicians obeyed him as Khan smiled. It had been far, far too long since he had embarked on a plan of conquest and yet the thrill had never left him. It would feel good to once more savor victory's sweet taste.

* * *

"Sir, _Pegasus _has just launched its fighters!" Felix Gaeta called out from his seat in the CiC.

Tigh frowned as he moved to observe the screen. "The hell is she playing at?" He muttered. He tapped a finger on the console before backing up. "Get word to Apollo, have him launch ours. It might be some sort of exercise but better safe than sorry."

He frowned as he checked the board once more, unable to shake the bad feeling filling him up.

* * *

_"Galactica_ has launched fighters."

"Move us ten degrees starboard."

* * *

Spock entered the bridge, Scotty already rising from his seat to allow the Vulcan to sit back down. Spock looked to Sulu. "Has the ship moved closer to firing position?"

"They have, sir," Sulu confirmed. "And it appears they are readying guns."

Spock nodded. "Prepare to engage and scan the _Pegasus_ for Captain Kirk's life signs. Mr. Scott, you should get to Engineering at once, I believe your services shall be required there." The Scotsman nodded as he headed to the lift.

"Fighters from both Battlestars now launched, sir," Chekov called out. "They appear to be converging on one another but not firing yet."

"Be alert but do not fire until fire upon."

* * *

"_Enterprise_ is holding back."

On the main radar, Khan took in the movements, the blips of the Vipers flowing toward each other while the two Battlestars now ran at parallel lines. The civilian ships were pulled back in each fleet, most unaware of what was to come. The large blip of the _Enterprise_ was a distance away, just enough out of range.

Khan's smile was a terrible thing to see. "Contact the _Ahab. _Tell them to move into position."

* * *

From the fleet of ships by the _Pegasus,_ a single shuttle slowly broke away from the rest of the ships. Its pilot had no cares for what he was about to do. It was orders, orders he had to obey thanks to the creature within his head. He adjusted the controls, completely focused on his task to the point where he didn't even bother to look back at the stack of explosives filling the hold of his shuttle. Adjusting the controls, he entered the calculations and then sat ready, staring out at the craft before him.

* * *

"Lock weapons onto _Galactica_."

"Weapons locked."

* * *

"Prepare to fire upon _Pegasus_ if need be. Lock onto their engines."

* * *

Like their waterbound counterparts of another time and place, the two massive Battlestars moved to within striking distance of each other, cannons aimed at the opposing ship. The two Viper fleets were a distance away, the tension high and just ready for one wrong move to spark a conflagration. And the Federation starship flew beyond it all, ready to act.

* * *

"Ships in position, sir."

"On my mark…_jump!"_

* * *

The flash of light may have caught the attention of the people on the _Enterprise's _bridge but it wasn't considered as important as the conflict before them. They were confident of their chances not only because of their superior firepower but also because of the shields as they knew it was impossible for anyone to get through it, even by transpoter.

Unfortunately, the Federation scientists had not taken into account what would occur when someone was able to merely jump through space itself and through the shields. Such occurred when the _Ahab _flashed back into being, the shuttle appearing right at the rear of the ship near the cargo bays and engine room. It wasn't as precise a jump as Khan wanted as only the rear of the ship solidified into the _Enterprise's _hull, the majority out in space. But it was more than enough to achieve the wanted goal.

Simple physics followed: The impossibility of two objects comparing the same space at the same time.

The explosion rocked the entire ship, blasting debris outward, along with whoever was unfortunate enough to be on those decks at that time. The bridge rocked back and forth, everyone more shocked at the explosion than the cause. Spock held onto the main chair to steady himself even as he hit the console. "Engineering, report!"

There was static before Scotty's excited voice came over the comms. _"Severe damage, sir! We've lost shields and life support is fading on decks 14 through 19!"_

"Can we still fire weapons?"

_"Sir, we're lucky to not have lost all power! If we take another hit, the reactor can overload!"_

Spock's mind whirled even as Chekov yelled out. "Fighters have targeted us, sir!"

* * *

_"FIRE!"_

* * *

The batteries on _Pegasus_ unleashed, their cannons far more powerful than those of the older Battlestar. Thus, the blows were severe, rocking the _Galactica _hard at its main nacelle, explosions erupting across its hull. On the CiC, Tigh gripped the main table for support as he barked out orders. "Tell the Vipers to go hot! Get what we have aimed at that bitch's ship and ready to-"

An explosion shattered the screen, Tigh crying out as he felt glass rake into his eye. He gritted his teeth, holding a hand to the bloody orb even as he continued to order. "And get cover to the rest of the fleet! I want that bitch blown out of the sky!"

* * *

"Their Vipers are moving in, sir."

"Excellent." Khan nodded to a nearby technician. "Upload the virus." He turned to smile at Cain. "Well, we now know just how your precious Gina could be such an expert at this, do we not?"

Cain gritted her teeth as the technician worked away, entering a series of commands. "Prepared, sir."

"Do it."

* * *

"Okay, get ready," Apollo called over the comlink as he sent his Viper toward the opposing forces. "Do not fire until fired upon and-"

His voice broke apart in static as the lights on his console flashed on and off. "What the frak?" he blurted as he felt his Viper slow down and then float. "Everyone, sound off!"

_"My board's dead!" _Kat cried out, her words echoed by the rest of the pilots. _"I've got life support, light propulsion but no weapons or control!"_

_ "We're dead in the fraking water!" _Starbuck cried out.

Apollo cursed as he flicked switches to no avail. Around him, Vipers floated, barely able to keep from hitting each other, a terrible déjà vu for those who remembered the initial Cylon attacks. He looked up, close enough to see the smug looks on a few of the opposing Vipers and realized they had just lost what little advantage they may have had in this fight.

* * *

"Sir!" Sulu yelled out as sparks flew from the consoles around the bridge. _"Galactica's _fighters have ceased to function!"

"Shields are still non-operative!" Chekov added, wincing as he saw another trio of missiles fired at the screen just before impacting the hull of the ship. "Life support is down to 74%!"

Vipers flew like locusts upon a waiting corpse, unleashing hails of missiles and bullets upon the _Enterprise, _raking its dish section hard to cause more fires. An eruption blasted apart a section of one deck, opening it to space and sending a dozen people flying into the cold vacuum that was filled with the fire of ships of war.

Uhuru gasped as she held onto her console. "I can't raise any of the ships, sir!"

Spock's mind whirled about but the only logical option was clear to him. "Mr. Scott, can we attain warp power?"

"_I can give ye enough for a quick push but not enough to get us out of the system, sir!"_

"Mr. Sulu," Spock called out. "Take us eighteen degrees and lay in warp course immediately."

Sulu was jarred but knew better than to question the order. He quickly moved the ship away from the battle, a few stray shots hitting the rear of the vessel. Punching in the commands, he hit the main buttons and a flash of light erupted as the _Enterprise_ entered warp and flew off, howling as if in agony of its seemingly mortal wounds.

* * *

As he watched the dot indicating the _Enterprise_ vanish from his screen, the smile on Khan's face widened. "Gone to lick its wounds. Well, I can hunt it to my pleasure later." He looked up at Cain. "Have Kirk and his colleagues brought here." She glared at him even as she relayed the order to some guards who left the room. Khan turned to a woman at a nearby console. "Open up a ship-to-ship broadcast to that fleet."

As soon as she nodded, Khan lifted the phone off the main console before him and pressed down upon it. "I am to assume I address Colonel Tigh?"

There was loud static before a growl came over the line. _"Who the frak is this?"_

"Excellent. And I am to assume President Roslin is listening in?"

After a pause, her voice came on the line. _"Whom am I addressing?"_

"Ah, to the point, I respect that in a female." Khan placed the phone down adjusting it so he could speak to them both at once. "I shall come to my own. As you have discovered, your Battlestar and your Vipers are currently affected by a replica of the same virus the Cylons used in their attacks. It is reversible but only I have the cure. My own forces are currently operating weapons hot and have you targeted. My terms are simple: Complete surrender now or you will be destroyed."

There was a pause before Roslin spoke. _"We are not open to that option, Mr…"_

"I am Khan Noonien Singh," he declared with pride. "And without the Federation ship to provide protection, my terms are far more lenient than you should expect." He looked up as the doors opened to show Kirk, Adama and Billy being pushed ahead by guards, Kirk still holding his side but defiant as ever. "Perhaps it would help to know that your Commander Adama is my prisoner here?"

He heard the sharp intake of breath from Roslin. Adama himself was leaning forward as much as he could. "Tigh? What's your status?"

_"Bad, Bill," _his old friend had to admit. _"Damage all through the ships, Vipers are dead and our weapons systems off-line too." _From the pain in his voice, Adama guessed Tigh himself was injured but wouldn't relate it now.

"I do not wish to become a party to a massacre," Khan stated. "But stand down and you and your fleet will live. For now, at least."

_"And how do we know you'll keep your word?"_

"Oh, I have given you no word to keep, Madame President," Khan said with a light air of amusement. "In my estimation, you simply have no other alternative."

They could almost see Roslin biting her lip in thought. "_I…will have to discuss this with the Quorum. The entire fleet needs to-"_

"I do not have the time to waste on this," Khan snapped. "You shall make your decision now."

_"You can't have me decide the fates of 40,000 people in an instant."_

"Are you not used to that after the last year?" Khan sighed. "I had hoped to settle this in a peaceful fashion, Madame but you have forced my hand."

In a blur, he whirled around, his hand coming off his belt to hold a pistol. In a single move, he aimed it at Billy's head and before anyone could react, pulled the trigger. The young man never had a chance to scream as the bullet ripped into his forehead, blasting out the back of his skull. He jerked in place, standing still with a look of wonder on his face. Then, he collapsed to the deck, lying still as blood pooled around his head.

Adama yelled and tried to lunge at Khan but was held back by the guards. Kirk stared at the young man's body, then slowly gazed up at Khan, hate in his eyes. "You didn't have to do that," he stated in a flat tone.

"Example must be made," the man stated with the same assurance as if swatting a fly.

_"What happened?" _Roslin's voice cried out. _"Adama, are you there? What just happened?"_

Khan moved back to the phone. "What happened, Madame President, is that your personal aide is now dead."

A stunned silence came over the line. In her office, Roslin slumped back in her chair in shock, staring outward. "You son of a bitch," she whispered, decorum for her office gone in rage and anguish.

"I can easily add Commander Adama to that pile," Khan stated. "Or order my ships to destroy any of the civilian boats in your fleet. But I would prefer you kept intact for now." He leaned forward, his voice dropping lower and more dangerously. "I am not a man known for my mercy, President Roslin. This opportunity is fleeting and you should take advantage of it while you can. You wished to keep your people safe, they shall be. As long as they do as I say. The choice…is yours."

The silence was long and heavy. Adama knew Tigh was ready to ram the _Galactica_ full-on into the _Pegasus_ if need be but was ready to follow orders. Finally, Roslin's voice came over the line, sounding more quiet and defeatist than Adama had ever heard before. _"We….officially…surrender our fleet to you, Khan."_

_ "Lord _Khan, if you must make it official," he stated with a smile.

"Madame President, you can't-" Adama began.

_"Stand down, Commander, that's an order." _A pause before she spoke again. _"Will you…return Commander Adama and…Billy's….body to us?"_

"I shall make such arrangements soon," Khan stated. "Your Vipers should have enough power to return to your ship. Inform the rest of the fleet that my forces will ensure no one acts against your orders. I shall be over presently to discuss matters further." He hung up the phone and sighed. "Victory. It has been far too long since I inhaled its sweet scent.

"What happened to you, Khan?" He turned to see Kirk glaring at him. "The Khan Singh I read of was a man of honor. Not a murderer."

Khan's lips thinned. "You are the reason for that, Kirk." He turned to Cain. "Make sure the Commander gets to his ship intact. We shall need to consolidate our forces quickly to catch up to the _Enterprise."_

"What?" Kirk blurted. "Khan, my ship is already a mess, you can't just-"

Khan's fist lashed out to smash into Kirk's face. "I do what I will, Kirk," he hissed. "And that means finishing what I began."

Kirk spat out blood to glare at Khan. "Just kill me, Khan. You have me, fine, just kill me and be done with it."

Khan's face became shockingly calm which made his words even more chilling. "Kill you? I don't want to kill you, Kirk. I've beaten you. I've hurt you. And I will continue to hurt you. I will do to you what you did to me. To her. I shall take away all you hold dear. All you care about. I shall ravage your faith and your soul. I will not rest until all you care of is brought down to ruins. Then, and only then, shall I leave you adrift, alone on some moon or planetoid. Buried alive for all eternity. Buried alive."

Kirk lunged at him but only got a few steps before the guards grabbed him, one clubbing him in the stomach before they began to drag him away. He struggled as best he could, his face now livid as, for once, rage overtook his reason and as he was dragged out of the room, he let it out in a massive scream that echoed through the halls of the Battlestar for decks away.

_"Khaaaaan! KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!"_

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** Come on, you know I had to do that last bit. Well, hopefully still interest out there for this, let me know via reviews and again, apologies for such a massive delay. **


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